To compare the spread of two sets of data, the scientist should use the standard deviation. Let’s break down why this is the appropriate statistic to use:
1. Median:
- The median is the middle value of a data set when it is ordered from least to greatest.
- It gives a measure of central tendency but provides no information about the spread or variability of the data.
2. Mode:
- The mode is the value that appears most frequently in a data set.
- Like the median, it is a measure of central tendency and doesn’t give insights into the variability of the data.
3. Mean:
- The mean is the average of all the values in a data set.
- Although it provides information about the central tendency of the data, it doesn’t directly indicate the spread or variability.
4. Standard Deviation:
- The standard deviation measures the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of values.
- A low standard deviation indicates that the values tend to be close to the mean, while a high standard deviation indicates that the values are spread out over a wider range.
Given that the scientist's goal is to compare the spread of two sets of data, the standard deviation is the most suitable statistic because it directly quantifies how much the data varies.
Therefore, the answer is:
O standard deviation
