Statistical methods, Mode and Median Chapter Notes | Year 5 Mathematics IGCSE (Cambridge) - Class 5 PDF Download

Mode and Median

• The mode is the value that appears most frequently in a data set.
• Example: For spelling scores 2, 2, 11, 9, 12, the mode is 2 (appears twice, more than any other score).
• The median is the middle value when the data is ordered from least to greatest.
• Example: For scores 2, 2, 11, 9, 12, ordered as 2, 2, 9, 11, 12, the median is 9 (middle value with two scores less and two scores greater).
• The mode highlights the most common value, while the median represents the central tendency, which can differ significantly depending on the data distribution.

Proportion of the Whole

• Proportion describes the part of a whole, often represented as a fraction, percentage, or in diagrams like waffle diagrams.
• Waffle diagrams use a grid (e.g., 20 squares) to show proportions, where each square represents an equal part of the whole.
• Example: In a waffle diagram with 20 squares (each 5% = 1/20 of the whole), 3 squares for fish represent 3 × 5% = 15% of votes.

Proportions can be calculated from frequency data:
Example: For hobbies with frequencies Swimming: 5, Video games: 2, Skate park: 1, Reading: 2, Soccer: 10(total 20):

• Soccer proportion: 10/20 = 1/2 = 50%.
• Swimming proportion: 5/20 = 25%.

Waffle diagrams visually compare proportions to bar charts but emphasize equal parts of the whole, making percentages intuitive.