The following tables present the number of specimens that tested positive for Type A and Type B influenza in the United States during the first 15 weeks of a recent flu season.

Find the median number of type A and type B cases in the first 15 weeks of the flu season.
A) Type A: 1,078 Type B: 469
B) Type A: 1,003 Type B: 408
C) Type A: 1,546 Type B: 1,546
D) Type A: 2,156 Type B: 937

Question

The following tables present the number of specimens that tested positive for Type A and Type B influenza in the United States during the first 15 weeks of a recent flu season.

Find the median number of type A and type B cases in the first 15 weeks of the flu season.
A) Type A: 1,078 Type B: 469 
B) Type A: 1,003 Type B: 408 
C) Type A: 1,546 Type B: 1,546 
D) Type A: 2,156 Type B: 937

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To find the median number of type A and type B cases, we need to first arrange the numbers in each table in ascending order.

For Type A: 
429, 500, 540, 577, 638, 710, 793, 821, 975, 1,271, 1,332, 1,575, 1,671, 2,021, 2,497

Since there are an odd number of values (15), the median is the middle value. The middle value is the 8th number (793).

For Type B: 
167, 229, 241, 259, 281, 318, 334, 352, 393, 465, 491, 574, 671, 979, 1,212

Again, there are 15 values, so the median is the 8th number (352).

Therefore, the median number of type A cases is 793 and the median number of type B cases is 352. The closest answer choice to this is B: Type A-1,003 and Type B-408.

The Following Tables Present the Number of Specimens That Tested