2005 2006 2007 2008
Plant 1 20 4 25 10
Plant 2 25 5 5 48
Plant 3 20 8 20 32
Plant 4 43 10 10 47
Plant 5 40 11 15 48
For which year is the mean the BEST measure of central tendency?
A) 2005
B) 2006
C) 2007
D) 2008
The mean would be the best measure of central tendency where there a no/fewer outliers, or less variability.
To determine which year the mean is the best measure of central tendency, we need to calculate the means for each year and compare them. The mean is calculated by summing all the values and dividing by the total number of values.
Let's calculate the means for each year:
2005: (20 + 25 + 20 + 43 + 40) / 5 = 24.6
2006: (4 + 5 + 8 + 10 + 11) / 5 = 7.6
2007: (25 + 5 + 20 + 10 + 15) / 5 = 15
2008: (10 + 48 + 32 + 47 + 48) / 5 = 37
Now let's compare the means:
2005: 24.6
2006: 7.6
2007: 15
2008: 37
The mean is considered the best measure of central tendency when the data is normally distributed or symmetric. In this case, the mean of 2008 (37) is significantly higher than the means of the other years. Therefore, the answer is D) 2008.