Find the median.

Step by step

The question

Question: find the median of 4, 7, 9, 3, 7 and 6.

The median is the middle number, once the numbers are in order.

1 Put them in order

First we put them in order, smallest first: 3, 4, 6, 7, 7 and 9.

We still have 6 numbers.

None is lost.

2 Find the middle

We cross out the smallest and the biggest, one pair at a time.

And the next pair.

Two numbers are left in the middle: 6 and 7.

The median is halfway between them.

Halfway: we add them and divide by 2.

6 plus 7 is 13.

13 divided by 2 is 6.5.

So the median is 6.5.

Let's look back.

First: put them in order.

Last: find the middle.