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Mean, median and mode
When the distribution of data is symmetrical, the value of the mean and the median are similar, as shown in the graph of Australian Prime Ministers' heights.
Dot plot of Australian Prime Ministers' heights.
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The red upside-down letter T on the horizontal axis indicates the median. |
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The blue triangle indicates the mean. If the symbols for median and mean overlap, it would indicate that the mean is equal to the median. |
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The green asterisk represents the mode in the dot plot of Mark Taylor's first innings scores. This skewed distribution shows the three measures of centre for that data set are distinctly different. |
Mark Taylor's first innings scores.
Contrasting the median and mean
This activity is designed to help students distinguish between means and medians in symmetric and skewed data sets.