Investigate properties of the mean and median of a distribution. Then test your knowledge.

• Investigate window
• Identify window
• Activity 1
• Activity 2

Investigate window - Use this window to investigate the value of the mean and median for a distribution of numbers you create in the grid.

• Click on boxes in the grid to create a distribution of numbers.
• The number of filled cells in any column indicates the number of times the corresponding column value occurs in the distribution.
• Clicking on the topmost filled box in any column clears the column.
• Clicking on any unfilled box in the column fills the column to the selected cell.
• Use the spinners at the top to change the number of rows or columns.
• The mean of the distribution is indicated by the blue triangle.
• The median of the distribution is indicated by the red triangle.
• The mean and median indicators can be toggled on or off using the check boxes at the top.

Identify window – By default, the window displays a distribution of hypothetical test scores (out of 10 points). An orange triangle marks a point in the distribution. Use the buttons at the bottom to identify the position indicated by the orange marker as the mean, the median, both of these, or neither of these. Click the ‘show solution’ button to see the actual positions of the mean and median in the distribution.

Use the test scores button to generate a new hypothetical distribution of test scores and the income button to generate a distribution of hypothetical incomes (in thousands of dollars).