Question

To find the mode, identify the number that appears the most often in the data set.

1, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5, 7
In this data set. 3 appears three times AND 4 appears three times! What is the mode?
A. This data set has two modes. Both 3 and 4 are the modes of the data set.
B. We must take the mean (or average) of 3 and 4 to find the mode. The mode is 3.5.
C. There is no mode for this data set.

Answer 1

A. This data set has two modes.

Explanation:

The correct answer is A. This data set has two modes. Both 3 and 4 are the modes of the data set. In statistics, when a data set has two modes, it is called bimodal. So, in this case, both 3 and 4 appear the most frequently, making them the modes of the data set. The concept of mode does not involve averaging the numbers. It simply identifies the number(s) that appear most frequently in the data set. Therefore, options B and C are incorrect.

Answer 2

A. This data set has two modes. Both 3 and 4 are the modes of the data set.

Explanation:

The mode is a statistical measure that represents the most frequently occurring value in a data set. In the given data set, 1 appears once, 2 appears once, 3 appears three times, 4 appears three times, 5 appears once, and 7 appears once. Since both 3 and 4 appear three times, the data set has two modes, which are 3 and 4. Therefore, the correct answer is A: "This data set has two modes. Both 3 and 4 are the modes of the data set." Option B is incorrect because the mode cannot be calculated by taking the average of the values that appear most frequently, and option C is incorrect because the data set does have modes.