In a dataset with values 2, 4, 6, 8, what is the median?

In a dataset with values 2, 4, 6, 8, what is the median?

• A. 4
• B. 5
• C. 6
• D. 7

Answer: (B)

The median is the value that splits the data into two equal halves. When there are an even number of observations, there isn’t a single middle value, so you average the two central numbers. Here, the data 2, 4, 6, 8 are already ordered, and the two central values are 4 and 6. The average is (4 + 6) / 2 = 5. So the median is 5. Note that with an even count, the median can be a value not present in the dataset, which is normal and reflects the midpoint between the central numbers.

The median is the value that splits the data into two equal halves. When there are an even number of observations, there isn’t a single middle value, so you average the two central numbers. Here, the data 2, 4, 6, 8 are already ordered, and the two central values are 4 and 6. The average is (4 + 6) / 2 = 5. So the median is 5. Note that with an even count, the median can be a value not present in the dataset, which is normal and reflects the midpoint between the central numbers.