1. What is Median?

The median is the middle value in a sorted list of numbers. Unlike the mean, it's not affected by extremely large or small values, making it a robust measure of central tendency.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the median formula:

Where:

• \( n \) — Total number of values in the dataset
• Values must be sorted in ascending order

Explanation: For odd number of values, it's simply the middle one. For even count, it's the average of the two middle values.

3. Importance of Median

Details: Median is widely used in statistics as it's less sensitive to outliers than the mean. It's particularly useful for skewed distributions and income/wealth data.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter numbers separated by commas. The calculator will ignore non-numeric values and calculate the median of the remaining numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: When should I use median instead of mean?
A: Use median when your data has outliers or is skewed. For symmetric distributions without outliers, mean is usually preferred.

Q2: What's the difference between median and average?
A: Average typically refers to the mean (sum divided by count), while median is the middle value. They can differ significantly in skewed data.

Q3: How does median handle even vs odd number of values?
A: For odd counts, it's the exact middle. For even counts, it's the average of the two middle values.

Q4: Does the calculator sort the numbers?
A: Yes, the calculator automatically sorts the numbers before finding the median.

Q5: What if I enter non-numeric values?
A: Non-numeric values will be ignored in the calculation.