What is the median of the numbers 1, 3, 7, 7, 9?

• A. 5
• B. 6
• C. 7
• D. 9

Answer: (C)

The median is the middle value in an ordered list. Since there are five numbers, the median is the third one when the list is sorted. Ordering them gives 1, 3, 7, 7, 9, so the middle value is 7. Therefore, the median is 7. (With an odd count, you take the exact middle; with an even count, you’d average the two middle values.)