In a boxplot, which statistic is represented by the central line inside the box?

In a boxplot, which statistic is represented by the central line inside the box?

• A. The median
• B. The mean
• C. The mode
• D. The midrange

Answer: (A)

The central line inside the box is the median—the value that splits the data into two halves when the data are arranged from smallest to largest. In a boxplot, the box runs from the first quartile (Q1) to the third quartile (Q3), and the line inside marks the 50th percentile. This positioning reflects the five-number summary used to summarize data: minimum, Q1, median, Q3, and maximum. The mean isn’t shown by this line in a standard boxplot (though some variants use a dot for the mean); the central line specifically represents the median.

The central line inside the box is the median—the value that splits the data into two halves when the data are arranged from smallest to largest. In a boxplot, the box runs from the first quartile (Q1) to the third quartile (Q3), and the line inside marks the 50th percentile. This positioning reflects the five-number summary used to summarize data: minimum, Q1, median, Q3, and maximum. The mean isn’t shown by this line in a standard boxplot (though some variants use a dot for the mean); the central line specifically represents the median.