What is the median of the following numbers: $1$, $3$, $8$?

• A. $4$
• B. $1$
• C. $8$
• D. $3$

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. First, list all the numbers given in the problem: 1, 3, and 8.
2. Next, arrange the numbers in ascending order. In this case, the numbers are already sorted: 1, 3, 8.
3. Since there are three numbers (an odd number of data points), the median is the middle number in the ordered list.
4. Identify the middle number by finding the position using the formula for the median index: \(\frac{n+1}{2}\), where \(n\) is the number of data points. Here, \(n=3\), so the median position is \(\frac{3+1}{2} = 2\).
5. The number in the 2nd position of the ordered list is 3, so the median of the numbers is 3.