Question

Joggers 1 and 2 run. Jogger 1's mean run is 5.25 whereas Jogger 2's mean run is 4.20. What can we infer about Jogger 1 and 2? What can't we infer?

Answer 1

We'd infer that Jogger 1 (mean `=5.25`) runs further than Jogger 2 (mean `=4.20`) by about one unit

Explanation:

The mean is calculated by adding the values and then dividing by the number of terms. For instance, the mean of 2, 3, 4 is:

`(2+3+4)/3=9/3=3`

From comparing the two means, we'd infer that Jogger 1 (mean `=5.25`) runs further than Jogger 2 (mean `=4.20`) by about one unit (perhaps kilometres? or miles?)

`(5.25-4.20=1.05)`

What don't we know?

• how many times Jogger 1 and Jogger 2 have jogged. Maybe they've gone 100 times. Or maybe once.
• how tightly to the means Jogger 1 and Jogger 2 stay. Do they both have a set track they run so that the distance never varies? Or is it that one day they run one unit and the next they run 10.