A coach wants to know the typical number of goals scored per game. Last 5 games: 2, 3, 3, 3, 15. Answer Key: Median (because 15 is an outlier). Median = 3 goals .
In the journey of learning, homework serves as the critical bridge between classroom instruction and independent mastery. For students navigating the complexities of statistics and data analysis, one of the most challenging hurdles is determining which measure of center—mean, median, or mode—best describes a set of data. This is where "Lesson 5 Homework Practice: Appropriate Measures" comes into play.
Data set: Home sale prices – $150k, $155k, $160k, $165k, $500k. Question: Which measure of variation is appropriate? lesson 5 homework practice appropriate measures answer key
| Error | Correction from Answer Key | |-------|----------------------------| | Always choosing the mean | Remind students: Mean is sensitive to outliers. Check for skew before choosing. | | Using range when outliers exist | Range is easy to compute but easily distorted. IQR or MAD are better with outliers. | | Not justifying the choice | The "appropriate measure" requires a reason (e.g., "because the data is skewed left"). | | Confusing mode as always appropriate | Mode is useful for categorical or repeated values, but not always best for numeric data. |
The three primary measures of center—mean, median, and mode—each have strengths and weaknesses depending on the data set's distribution. 1. The Mean (Average) A coach wants to know the typical number
Data set: Shoe sizes: 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 10 (error in recording). Which measure of center is most appropriate?
Searching for the is a common practice among students who are stuck or running short on time. However, simply copying the answers bypasses the critical thinking required for this specific lesson. Median = 3 goals
is a clear outlier—the will almost always be the "appropriate measure" requested by the answer key. Summary Table: Which Measure is Appropriate? Data Characteristic Best Measure of Center Data has no outliers Mean Data has outliers Median Data has many repeated values Mode Data is categorical (not numbers) Mode How to Approach Your Homework Practice
The answer key for Course 1, Chapter 11, Lesson 5: Appropriate Measures
The mode . For categorical (non-numerical) data, you cannot use mean/median. Mode = Chocolate .
Data set: Daily temperatures (°F): 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 105 (heat wave outlier). Which measure of variation is most appropriate?