1. The list shows the number of heartbeats per minute for each of 12 people during different exercises. \[ 86,80,73,75,70,82,72,81,84,82,75,82 \] What is the median number of heartbeats per minute for the data in the list? A 80.5 B 78.5 C 16 D 82

To find the median, we first need to arrange the heartbeats in ascending order: 70, 72, 73, 75, 75, 80, 81, 82, 82, 82, 84, 86. Since there are 12 data points (an even number), the median will be the average of the 6th and 7th values. In this case, those values are 80 and 81. Thus, the median is: \((80 + 81) / 2 = 80.5\). So, the correct answer is **A 80.5**. Additionally, finding the median is a great way to understand the central tendency of a data set, especially in real-life applications like fitness and health monitoring. The median provides a robust measure by reducing the impact of outliers compared to other measures like the mean! And remember, sorting your data correctly is crucial to finding the median. A common mistake is overlooking values or miscalculating when averaging the middle numbers, which can skew your results! Regular practice with similar sets could help sharpen your skills.