The box plot below represents a data set with the following five-number summary: minimum = $2$, first quartile = $5$, median = $8$, third quartile = $12$, maximum = $15$. What is the value of the median?

• A. $15$
• B. $5$
• C. $8$
• D. $12$

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the five-number summary given in the problem: minimum = 2, first quartile (Q1) = 5, median = 8, third quartile (Q3) = 12, and maximum = 15.
2. Recall that the median is the middle value of the data set when it is ordered from smallest to largest.
3. Understand that the median corresponds to the second quartile (Q2) in the five-number summary, which is explicitly given as 8.
4. Recognize that the box plot visually represents these five values, with the median shown as the line inside the box between Q1 and Q3.
5. Conclude that the value of the median is the number provided in the five-number summary for the median, which is 8.