Median of 12, 5, 9, 15, 10, 7

Step by step

The question

Question: find the median of 12, 5, 9, 15, 10 and 7.

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: 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 15.

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: 9 and 10.

The median is halfway between them.

Halfway: we add them and divide by 2.

9 plus 10 is 19.

19 divided by 2 is 9.5.

So the median is 9.5.

Let's look back.

First: put them in order.

Last: find the middle.