Finding the median of an even set of numbers is a straightforward process. The median is the middle value of a data set when it has been ordered from least to greatest. When dealing with an even number of observations, there isn’t a single middle value. Instead, you need to follow these steps:
- Organize the data: Start by arranging your numbers in ascending order.
- Identify the two middle values: Since there is an even number of values, locate the two numbers that lie in the middle. For a set of four numbers, for example, in the ordered list, these would be the second and third numbers.
- Calculate the average: Take the two middle numbers and find their average. You do this by adding the two numbers together and then dividing by 2.
For example, consider the set of numbers: 4, 1, 7, 3. When arranged in order, we get 1, 3, 4, 7. Here, the two middle numbers are 3 and 4. To find the median, you would calculate (3 + 4) / 2 = 3.5. Thus, the median of this set is 3.5.