The local amusement park was interested in the average wait time at their most popular roller coaster at the peak park time (2 p.m.). They selected 13 patrons and had them get in line between 2 and 3 p.m. Each was given a stop watch to record the time they spent in line. The times recorded were as follows (in minutes)
118, 124, 108, 116, 99, 120, 148, 118, 119, 121, 45, 130, 118

-What is the third quartile?
A)100.8
B)119.8
C)128.8
D)112
E)121

Question

The local amusement park was interested in the average wait time at their most popular roller coaster at the peak park time (2 p.m.). They selected 13 patrons and had them get in line between 2 and 3 p.m. Each was given a stop watch to record the time they spent in line. The times recorded were as follows (in minutes)
118, 124, 108, 116, 99, 120, 148, 118, 119, 121, 45, 130, 118

-What is the third quartile?
A)100.8
B)119.8
C)128.8
D)112
E)121

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The third quartile (Q3) is the median of the upper half of the data set. To find Q3, first, the data must be ordered from least to greatest: 45, 99, 108, 116, 118, 118, 118, 119, 120, 121, 124, 130, 148. Since there are 13 data points, the median (Q2) is the 7th value, which splits the data into two halves. The upper half (after the median) is 119, 120, 121, 124, 130, 148. The median of this upper half, which is Q3, is the average of the 3rd and 4th values (121 and 124), which is (121+124)/2 = 122.5. However, since 122.5 is not an option and considering rounding or calculation variations, the closest provided option is E) 121.

The Local Amusement Park Was Interested in the Average Wait