Table of contents
- 1. Intro to Stats and Collecting Data55m
- 2. Describing Data with Tables and Graphs1h 55m
- 3. Describing Data Numerically1h 45m
- 4. Probability2h 16m
- 5. Binomial Distribution & Discrete Random Variables2h 33m
- 6. Normal Distribution and Continuous Random Variables1h 38m
- 7. Sampling Distributions & Confidence Intervals: Mean1h 3m
- 8. Sampling Distributions & Confidence Intervals: Proportion1h 12m
- 9. Hypothesis Testing for One Sample1h 1m
- 10. Hypothesis Testing for Two Samples2h 8m
- 11. Correlation48m
- 12. Regression1h 4m
- 13. Chi-Square Tests & Goodness of Fit1h 20m
- 14. ANOVA1h 0m
3. Describing Data Numerically
Median
Problem 2.3.58a
Textbook Question
U.S. Trade Deficits The table at the left shows the U.S. trade deficits (in billions of dollars) with 18 countries in 2020. (Source: U.S. Department of Commerce)

a. Find the mean and the median of the trade deficits.

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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Mean
The mean, or average, is calculated by summing all the values in a dataset and then dividing by the number of values. In the context of trade deficits, it provides a central value that represents the overall trade deficit across the countries listed. This measure is sensitive to extreme values, which can skew the mean if there are significant outliers.
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Median
The median is the middle value in a dataset when the values are arranged in ascending or descending order. It is a robust measure of central tendency that is less affected by outliers compared to the mean. For trade deficits, the median gives a better sense of the typical deficit experienced with the countries listed, especially if there are countries with very high or low deficits.
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Trade Deficit
A trade deficit occurs when a country's imports exceed its exports, resulting in a negative balance of trade. In the context of the U.S. trade deficits with various countries, it indicates how much more the U.S. is spending on foreign goods and services compared to what it is earning from exports. Understanding trade deficits is crucial for analyzing economic health and international trade relationships.
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