1 of 3

M

l

+

× h

c.f

n

2

E

M

E

=

Classes must be continuous.

D

A

I

N

I

A

N

D

f

2 of 3

l = Lower limit of median class

n = Total frequency

c.f. = Cumulative frequency of class preceding the median class

f = Frequency of median class

h = Width of the class

Steps :

Median =

l

+

× h

c.f

n

2

f

Total frequency (N)

2

Find the value of

(i)

(ii) Check the ‘Cumulative frequency less than type’

coloumn for the value x

(iii) The cumulative frequency less than type which is

just greater than or equal to x. The corresponding

class is the median class.

= x

3 of 3

14.3(5)The following table gives the distribution of the life time of 400 neon lamps :

Find the median life time of a lamp.

Life time (hours)

1500 - 2000

2000 - 2500

2500 – 3000

3000 - 3500

3500 - 4000

4000 - 4500

4500 - 5000

No. of lamps

14

56

60

86

74

62

48

Sol:

Class

Frequency

c. f.

2000 - 2500

2500 – 3000

3500 - 4000

1500 - 2000

4000 - 4500

4500 - 5000

14

56

60

74

62

48

14

70

130

216

290

352

400

Changing the data in continuous form

14

+

56

=

70

70

+

60

=

130

=

400

n

Total

Here

n

2

=

400

2

=

200

86

f

3000 – 3500

c. f.

Median class is 3000-3500.

l

=

3000 ,

h

=

500 ,

f

=

86 ,

c.f.

=

130

Median

=

n

2

-

c. f.

f

×

h

l

+

=

3000

+

200

-

130

86

=

3000

+

17500

43

=

3000

+

406.98

Median

=

3406.98

hrs.

Which c.f is greater than

or equal to 200

Which lies in the class 3000 - 3500

Exercise 14.3 – Q.5