Comparing Temperature Data between Flower Town and Desert Landing

Which measure of center should be used to determine which location typically has the cooler temperature?

a. Mean, because Flower Town is symmetric

b. Mean, because Flower Town is skewed

c. Median, because Desert Landing is skewed

d. Median, because Desert Landing is symmetric

Answer:

Option C: Median, because Desert Landing is skewed

When comparing the temperature data between Flower Town and Desert Landing, the measure of center that should be used to determine which location typically has the cooler temperature is the median. This is because Desert Landing has a skewed distribution, which can impact the accuracy of the mean due to extreme values or outliers.

The median is a more appropriate measure of central tendency in this case as it divides the data into two equal parts. By using the median, we can get a better representation of the typical temperature in Desert Landing, making it the ideal choice for comparison between the two locations.

Flower Town, on the other hand, has a symmetric distribution, where the mean and median would be approximately equal. However, since we are comparing the temperatures of two different locations, focusing on the measure of center that is more representative of the typical temperature for each location is essential. Therefore, the median temperature for Desert Landing would provide a more accurate indication of the cooler temperature between the two regions.