True or False: The median must always be one of the numbers in the data set itself.

What do you think the answer is, and why?

What is the median of this set of numbers?

10, 11, 15, 17

False.

The median is a measure of central tendency that represents the middle value of a dataset when it is arranged in ascending or descending order. Unlike the mean, which is calculated by summing all the numbers in the dataset and then dividing by the total number of data points, the median is not necessarily one of the numbers in the dataset.

To find the median, follow these steps:
1. Arrange the numbers in the dataset in ascending or descending order.
2. If the dataset contains an odd number of values, the median is the middle value.
3. If the dataset contains an even number of values, the median is the average of the two middle values.

Therefore, it is possible for the median to be one of the numbers in the dataset, especially if the dataset has an odd number of values, but it is not always the case.