skamal7
A certain builder is selling five homes for the following prices: $157,000, $168,000, $195,000, $235,000, and $256,000. If the price of the most expensive home is increased $10,000, which of the following statements best describes the change in the mean and the median of the home prices?
(A) The mean and the median will remain unchanged.
(B) The mean will remain unchanged but the median will increase.
(C) The mean will increase but the median will remain unchanged.
(D) The mean and the median will increase by the same amount.
(E) The mean and the median will increase by different amounts.
If not sure: Use small numbers that follow the prompt's pattern, namely, five increasing values.
Pick numbers that sum to a multiple of 5, so that the mean is easy to find. Pick four numbers, add them, and have the fifth number (greater than all others) make the total sum = multiple of 5.
The houses sell for:
$1, $2, $3, $4, $10
Median: $3
Mean: \(\frac{$20}{5} = $4\)
The most expensive home increases by $5:
$1, $2, $3, $4, $15
Median: $3
Mean: \(\frac{$25}{5} = $5\)
Mean is increased, median is unchanged.
Answer C