Question

The data below represents the number of hours an office assistant spends on the phone every week for 15 weeks.

19, 6, 10, 7, 9, 5, 8, 9, 12, 9, 17, 14, 17, 18, 19

Which box plot represents this data?

Answer 1

A box plot contains two dots placed at the ends of the data for the mininum and the maximum value with a line placed over the median.

Let's put the numbers in your set in order from low to high:

5

6

7

8

9

9

9

10

12

14

17

17

18

19

19

The median is the middle number. We have 15 numbers so we select the 8th number - 7 from each end. In this set, 10 is the median.

Only one box plot has dots at 5 and 19 and a median of 10 - choice B. Thus, B is the proper box plot.