Health care issues are receiving much attention in both academic and political arenas. A sociologist recently conducted a survey of citizens over 60 years of age whose net worth is too high to qualify for Medicaid. The ages of 14 senior citizens were as follows:
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
68
68
69
70
73
73
74
Determine the first quartile of the ages of the senior citizens.
69.75
74.5
62.75
66.5
To determine the first quartile of the ages of the senior citizens, first arrange the ages in ascending order:
60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 68, 69, 70, 73, 73, 74
The total number of ages is 14, so the first quartile will be at the position (1/4)(14) = 3.5, which falls between the 3rd and 4th ages in the list.
Therefore, the first quartile is the average of the 3rd and 4th ages in the list:
(62 + 63) / 2 = 62.5
So, the first quartile of the ages of the senior citizens is 62.5.