Using information from the table, determine the median number of enslaved people for the states given. You may use a calculator.
Answer (2)
Sort the number of enslaved people in ascending order: 61,745, 331,059, 402,406, 462,198.
Identify the two middle numbers: 331,059 and 402,406.
Calculate the average of the two middle numbers: 2 331059 + 402406 = 366732.5
The median number of enslaved people is 366732.5 .
Explanation
Understanding the Problem We are given the number of enslaved people in four states: Florida (61,745), Georgia (462,198), North Carolina (331,059), and South Carolina (402,406). Our goal is to find the median number of enslaved people for these states.
Sorting the Data First, we need to arrange the numbers in ascending order. This means listing them from the smallest to the largest. The sorted list is: 61,745, 331,059, 402,406, 462,198.
Identifying the Middle Numbers Since we have an even number of values (four states), the median is the average of the two middle numbers. In our sorted list, the two middle numbers are 331,059 and 402,406.
Calculating the Median Now, we calculate the average of these two middle numbers. To do this, we add them together and divide by 2: 2 331059 + 402406 = 2 733465 = 366732.5
Final Answer Therefore, the median number of enslaved people for the given states is 366,732.5.
Examples
Understanding median values is crucial in many real-world scenarios. For instance, when analyzing income distribution in a population, the median income gives a more accurate representation of the 'typical' income than the average, as it is less affected by extremely high or low values. Similarly, in real estate, the median home price provides a better sense of the market's central tendency, filtering out the impact of luxury mansions or distressed properties. This concept helps in making informed decisions based on a balanced view of the data.
To find the median number of enslaved people among the states, we first sort the values in ascending order. The two middle numbers are averaged to calculate the median. The final median is 366,732.5.
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