Question 6 (Essay Worth 4 points)

The stem-and-leaf plot displays data collected on the size of 15 classes at two different schools.

\begin{tabular}{r|r|l}
Mountain View School & & Bay Side School \\
\hline [tex]$9,8,2,0$[/tex] & 0 & [tex]$5,6,8$[/tex] \\
\hline [tex]$8,7,6,5,5,4,4,3,1,0$[/tex] & 2 & [tex]$0,2,4,5,6,8,2,3,5$[/tex] \\
0 & 3 & \\
& 4 & 2
\end{tabular}

Key: [tex]$2|1| 0$[/tex] means 12 for Mountain View and 10 for Bay Side

Part A: Calculate the measures of center. Show all work. (2 points)

Part B: Calculate the measures of variability. Show all work. (1 point)

Part C: If you are interested in a larger class size, which school is a better choice for you? Explain your reasoning. (1 point)



Answer :

Certainly! Let's tackle each part of this question step by step.

Part A: Calculate the measures of center.

To determine the measures of center, we calculate the mean and the median for the class sizes of both schools.

Mountain View School:
- Class Sizes: 9, 8, 2, 0, 8, 7, 6, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 1, 0, 3
- Mean:
To find the mean, sum all class sizes and divide by the number of classes.
[tex]\[ \text{Mean} = \frac{9 + 8 + 2 + 0 + 8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 5 + 4 + 4 + 3 + 1 + 0 + 3}{15} = \frac{65}{15} \approx 4.33 \][/tex]
- Median:
To find the median, list the class sizes in ascending order and find the middle value.
Sorted list: 0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9
Since there are 15 values, the middle value (8th value) is the median.
[tex]\[ \text{Median} = 4 \][/tex]

Bay Side School:
- Class Sizes: 5, 6, 8, 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 2, 3, 5, 4, 2
- Mean:
To find the mean, sum all class sizes and divide by the number of classes.
[tex]\[ \text{Mean} = \frac{5 + 6 + 8 + 0 + 2 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 8 + 2 + 3 + 5 + 4 + 2}{14} = \frac{60}{14} \approx 4.29 \][/tex]
- Median:
To find the median, list the class sizes in ascending order and find the middle value.
Sorted list: 0, 2, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 8, 8
Since there are 14 values, the median is the average of the 7th and 8th values.
[tex]\[ \text{Median} = \frac{4 + 5}{2} = 4.5 \][/tex]

Measures of Center:
- Mountain View School: Mean ≈ 4.33, Median = 4
- Bay Side School: Mean ≈ 4.29, Median = 4.5

Part B: Calculate the measures of variability.

To determine the measures of variability, we calculate the standard deviation for the class sizes of both schools.

Mountain View School:
- Class Sizes: 9, 8, 2, 0, 8, 7, 6, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 1, 0, 3
- Standard Deviation:
[tex]\[ \text{Standard Deviation} \approx 2.895 \][/tex]

Bay Side School:
- Class Sizes: 5, 6, 8, 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 2, 3, 5, 4, 2
- Standard Deviation:
[tex]\[ \text{Standard Deviation} \approx 2.335 \][/tex]

Measures of Variability:
- Mountain View School: Standard Deviation ≈ 2.895
- Bay Side School: Standard Deviation ≈ 2.335

Part C: If you are interested in a larger class size, which school is a better choice for you? Explain your reasoning.

To determine which school has a larger average class size, we compare the means:
- Mountain View School: Mean ≈ 4.33
- Bay Side School: Mean ≈ 4.29

Since the mean class size is slightly higher at Mountain View School (approximately 4.33) compared to Bay Side School (approximately 4.29), Mountain View School would be a better choice if you are interested in larger class sizes. This does indicate that, on average, classes are slightly larger at Mountain View.