The first step to determine the median is to count the number of data points and arrange them in increasing order.
According to the provided reference, before finding the median, you must initially:
- Count the number of data points (n).
- Arrange the data points in increasing order.
Only after completing these initial steps can you proceed to determine if the number of data points is even or odd and then calculate the median accordingly. Arranging data in ascending order is a crucial step for correctly identifying the middle value(s).
For example, if you have the data set: 5, 2, 9, 1, 5
- First, you count the data points: n = 5
- Next, arrange them in increasing order: 1, 2, 5, 5, 9.
Once this arrangement is complete, you can proceed to locate the median value.
