To determine whether to use the mean or the median to describe the centers of distribution for the number of bagels sold daily at the two bakeries, let's analyze the provided data and the resulting measures of central tendency.
1. Mean and Median for Bakery A:
- The mean of Bakery A's data is 38.875.
- The median of Bakery A's data is 45.5.
- Since the mean (38.875) is not equal to the median (45.5), we can conclude that the data for Bakery A is not symmetric.
2. Mean and Median for Bakery B:
- The mean of Bakery B's data is 21.75.
- The median of Bakery B's data is 16.5.
- Similarly, since the mean (21.75) is not equal to the median (16.5), we can conclude that the data for Bakery B is also not symmetric.
Given these observations, the best way to describe the centers of distribution given the lack of symmetry would be the median. This is because the median is less affected by skewness and outliers and better represents the center of a non-symmetric distribution.
Hence, the correct choice is:
Median for both bakeries because the data is not symmetric
