In a distribution that is negatively skewed, what happens to the tail and how does the mean compare to the median?

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Prepare for the Praxis Middle School Mathematics Exam with quizzes. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions. Each question provides hints and detailed explanations. Ensure success on your test!

Multiple Choice

In a distribution that is negatively skewed, what happens to the tail and how does the mean compare to the median?

Explanation:
Negatively skewed means the tail extends to the left. That long left tail contains some unusually small values that pull the average downward, so the mean shifts toward the lower end of the data. The median, being the middle value, isn’t as affected by those extreme lows, so it stays closer to the center of the data. As a result, the mean ends up smaller than the median. A handy reminder: in left-skew, mean < median (and the order is typically mode > median > mean).

Negatively skewed means the tail extends to the left. That long left tail contains some unusually small values that pull the average downward, so the mean shifts toward the lower end of the data. The median, being the middle value, isn’t as affected by those extreme lows, so it stays closer to the center of the data. As a result, the mean ends up smaller than the median. A handy reminder: in left-skew, mean < median (and the order is typically mode > median > mean).

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