When the scores for a recent Chemistry exam were calculated, the mean was 60 and the median was 65. Later the lecturer discovered that one score had been recorded incorrectly; it had been entered into the computer as a 5, instead of as a 50. When this correction is made,

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the error was a recording of 5 instead of 50, it will heavily skew the data towards the lower end. Therefore, the mean will be affected by this outlier, which will result in the mean increasing. However, since the median only looks at the middle value(s) and the corrected score would be closer to the other scores, the median will not be affected. Therefore, the correct choice is (C).

When the Scores for a Recent Chemistry Exam Were Calculated