GED Math Practice Test

Which of the following is true if the data set is {7, 1, 3, 5, 9}?

1. The mean is 5

2. The median is 5

3. The median is 6

4. The mode is 7

The correct answer is: The median is 5

To determine the median of the data set {7, 1, 3, 5, 9}, we first need to arrange the numbers in ascending order. The ordered set is {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}. The median is the middle number in a sorted list of numbers. Since there are five values in this data set, the median is the third number when they are listed in order. In this case, the third number is 5, which confirms that the median is indeed 5. Choosing this answer recognizes the concept of finding the median correctly, by both sorting the numbers and identifying the middle value in that ordered arrangement.