Mean versus median

The applet below is designed to allow one to investigate interactively the mean and the median as measures of the center of a data set. Points can be added to the plot by clicking the mouse above the horizontal axis. The mean of the points is shown as a green arrow, and the median is shown as a red arrow. If the two values are the same, then a single yellow arrow is displayed. Numeric values for the mean and median are shown above the plot. Points on the plot can be removed by clicking on the point and then dragging the point into the trash can. All of the points on the plot can be removed by simply clicking inside the trash can. The range of values for the horizontal axis can be specified by inputing lower and upper limits and then clicking the Update button. Things to try with the applet:
  • Create a set of points that are very close together and then add a point that is far away from the set. What is the impact of the new point on the mean and on the median?
  • Try to create a data set with a median that is below 2 and a mean that is between 2 and 4.