In a survey conducted among a group of 20 medical students to assess their weekly study hours, the data collected showed the following hours spent studying per week: 18, 20, 22, 25, 28, 30, 35, 40, 44, 50, 54, 60, 63, 70, 74, 80, 85, 90, 94, 98.
Which of the following is the mean number of study hours per week for these students?
- A) 44 hours
- B) 50 hours
- C) 54 hours
- D) 60 hours
- E) 63 hours
C) 54 hours
To determine the mean, summing all study hours (1080) and dividing by the number of students (20) gives a mean of 54 hours per week.
Answer choice A: 44 hours, is incorrect. To find the mean, sum up all the values and divide by the total number of values. In this case, summing the study hours gives 1080. Dividing by 20 (the number of students) results in a mean of 54 hours, not 44 hours.
Answer choice B: 50 hours, is incorrect. The calculation for the mean of the study hours is 54 hours, not 50 hours.
Answer choice D: 60 hours, is incorrect. The mean is 54 study hours, not 60 hours.
Answer choice E: 63 hours, is incorrect. The mean is 54 study hours not 63 hours.
Key Learning Point
The mean, or average, is calculated by adding up all values in a dataset and dividing by the total count of values. It represents the central tendency of the data set.
