The mean and the standard deviation of a data which is comprised of a set of…

2026

The mean and the standard deviation of a data which is comprised of a set of ten positive numbers are 8 and 2 respectively. If the sum of squares of 9 among the 10 members is 599,what is the 10th number.

  1. A.

    10

  2. B.

    9

  3. C.

    5

  4. D.

    8

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Correct answer: B

Let the 10th number be x.

For the population standard deviation, variance satisfies:

σ² = (sum of squares of all terms)/N − μ²

Given μ = 8, σ = 2 and N = 10, so

4 = (Σxi²)/10 − 64 ⇒ (Σxi²)/10 = 68 ⇒ Σxi² = 680.

The sum of squares of nine numbers is 599, so x² = 680 − 599 = 81.

All numbers are positive, hence x = 9.

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