Textbook Question
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, a 10-year-old male whose height is 53.5 inches has a height that is at the 15th percentile. Explain what this means.
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3. Describing Data Numerically
Percentiles & Quartiles
Multiple Choice
In a dataset, what does it mean to say that a value is at the 83rd percentile?
A
The value is exactly 83% of the maximum observation in the dataset.
B
About 83% of the observations are less than or equal to that value.
C
About 83% of the observations are greater than or equal to that value.
D
The value is the same as the third quartile ().
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand that a percentile indicates the relative standing of a value within a dataset, showing the percentage of data points below or equal to that value.
Recognize that the 83rd percentile means that approximately 83% of the observations in the dataset are less than or equal to the value at this percentile.
Note that this does not mean the value is 83% of the maximum observation; percentiles relate to the position in the ordered data, not the magnitude relative to the maximum.
Understand that the 83rd percentile is not the same as the third quartile (Q\_3), which corresponds to the 75th percentile, so these are different concepts.
Conclude that the correct interpretation of a value at the 83rd percentile is: about 83% of the observations are less than or equal to that value.
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