Home > MC1 > Chapter 3 > Lesson 3.3.3 > Problem3-85

3-85.

Ryan's sister, Jollie, gets her height measured once a year. Here is the growth data that her mother has written down for the last six years: $2.5$ inches, $3$ inches, $2.25$ inches, $4$ inches, $1.75$ inches, and $3.5$ inches.

1. How much has Jollie grown in the last six years?

Each of these measurements tells you how much Jollie has grown in one year.
How can you use these measurements to find out how much she has grown in the past six years?

Add the measurements together to find the total amount she has grown.

$2.5$ inches $+$ $3$ inches $+$ $2.25$ inches $+$ $4$ inches $+$ $1.75$ inches $+$ $3.5$ inches $=$ $17$ inches

$17$ inches

2. Find the mean, median, and mode of her growth over the last six years.

If you are having trouble starting this problem, refer to problems 1-110 and 1-112.

Don't remember what the mean, median, and mode are? Here's a quick review: The mean here is the number of inches Jollie would grow in a year if she grew the same amount each year. The median is the middle number if the numbers are put in order from least to greatest. The mode is the number that appears most often.

3. Jollie wants to convince her basketball coach that she is going to grow a lot this year. Which measure of central tendency should she use to try to convince the coach? Explain your choice.

Conner thinks that Jollie should use the median. Do you agree with him?
Would it really help Jollie to use a number that happened to fall in the middle of the data?