Median vs. Medium — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 28, 2024
Median is a statistical measure representing the middle value in a sorted data set, while medium refers to an intervening substance or a means of doing something.
Difference Between Median and Medium
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Median is used in statistics to describe the central point of a data set when the numbers are arranged in ascending or descending order. If the data set has an odd number of observations, the median is the middle number. For an even number of observations, it is the average of the two middle numbers. Whereas, medium can refer to various concepts depending on the context: in art, it's the material or technique used; in communication, it's the channel through which information is conveyed; and in science, it's a substance through which something is transmitted or carried.
In statistical analysis, the median provides a measure that is not skewed by outliers or extremely high or low values, making it a valuable tool for understanding the distribution of data. On the other hand, a medium's role is to facilitate interaction, whether it's between light waves and objects, information and audiences, or artists and their creations.
While the median is specifically tied to numerical data and its distribution, medium spans a broader range of applications, acting as a facilitator or carrier in various fields. This distinction highlights the median's role in quantifying and analyzing data versus the medium's function in transmission and expression.
The concept of median is crucial in fields like economics, sociology, and real estate to describe a more accurate central tendency of data, avoiding the distortion that averages can introduce. Medium, however, is essential in disciplines such as physics, communication studies, and art, where the means of transmission, expression, or operation are of primary interest.
The use of median in data analysis helps in understanding the distribution of values, especially in skewed distributions where it represents the middle value more accurately than the mean. Conversely, the choice of medium in various contexts can significantly influence the effectiveness of communication, the properties of a physical process, or the aesthetic quality of art.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
The middle value in a sorted list of numbers.
An intervening substance or means of doing something.
Context
Statistics
Art, communication, science
Function
Represents central tendency of a dataset.
Facilitates transmission or expression.
Application
Used to analyze data distributions.
Used in various fields to denote a carrier or facilitator.
Importance
Helps understand distribution without skew from outliers.
Influences effectiveness of transmission or aesthetic quality.
Compare with Definitions
Median
The value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample.
The median income of the neighborhood is $50,000.
Medium
A means through which something is communicated or expressed.
Painting is a medium that artists use to express their ideas.
Median
A measure of central tendency that is not affected by outliers.
The median score on the test was 75, indicating most students performed around this level.
Medium
The material used by an artist to create a work of art.
Clay is the preferred medium for many sculptors.
Median
For even-numbered sets, the average of the two middle numbers.
The median of the set 3, 5, 7, 9 is 6 (the average of 5 and 7).
Medium
A channel or system of communication.
Television is a powerful medium for advertising.
Median
Used in skewed distributions to find the central value.
The median house price provides a better sense of the market than the average.
Medium
The intervening substance through which sensory impressions are conveyed or physical forces are transmitted.
Water is the medium in which many aquatic organisms live.
Median
Calculated by arranging data points in numerical order and identifying the middle value.
In a set of ages 21, 22, 24, the median age is 22.
Medium
A substance through which signals or forces are transmitted.
Air acts as a medium for sound waves.
Median
In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value.
Medium
An agency or means of doing something
Using the latest technology as a medium for job creation
Their primitive valuables acted as a medium of exchange
Median
Relating to, located in, or extending toward the middle.
Medium
The intervening substance through which sensory impressions are conveyed or physical forces are transmitted
Radio communication needs no physical medium between the two stations
Median
(Anatomy) Of, relating to, or situated in or near the plane that divides a bilaterally symmetrical animal into right and left halves; mesial.
Medium
A particular form of storage material for computer files, such as magnetic tape or discs.
Median
(Statistics) Relating to or constituting the middle value in a distribution.
Medium
The material or form used by an artist, composer, or writer
Oil paint is the most popular medium for glazing
Median
A median point, plane, line, or part.
Medium
The middle quality or state between two extremes; a reasonable balance
There is a medium between being modest and boastful
Median
The dividing area, either paved or landscaped, between opposing lanes of traffic on some highways. Also called regionally boulevard, mall, median strip, meridian, neutral ground.
Medium
About halfway between two extremes of size or another quality; average
Medium-length hair
Plan for the medium term
John is six feet tall, of medium build
Median
(Statistics) The middle value in a distribution, above and below which lie an equal number of values.
Medium
Something, such as an intermediate course of action, that occupies a position or represents a condition midway between extremes.
Median
A line that joins a vertex of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side.
Medium
A substance that propagates energy or signals through space via changes in its own state
Air acts as a medium for the transmission of sound waves.
Median
The line that joins the midpoints of the nonparallel sides of a trapezoid.
Medium
The sparsely distributed gas and dust subsisting in the space between stars.
Median
A central vein or nerve, especially the median vein or median nerve running through the forearm and arm.
Medium
Median
(geometry) A line segment joining the vertex of triangle to the midpoint of the opposing side.
Medium
An agency by which something is accomplished, conveyed, or transferred
The train was the usual medium of transportation in those days.
Median
(statistics) A number separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, population, or probability distribution. The median of a finite list of numbers can be found by arranging all the observations from lowest value to highest value and picking the middle one (e.g., the median of {3, 3, 5, 9, 11} is 5). If there is an even number of observations, then there is no single middle value; the median is then usually defined to be the mean of the two middle values.
Medium
A means of mass communication, such as newspapers, magazines, radio, or television.
Median
(US) The area separating two lanes of opposite-direction traffic; the median strip.
Medium
Media(used with a sing. or pl. verb) The group of journalists and others who constitute the communications industry and profession.
Median
(anatomy) Situated in a middle, central, or intermediate part, section, or range of (something).
Medium
Pl. media(Computers)Any of various kinds of storage devices, such as hard drives or digital audiotape.
Median
In the middle of an organ, structure etc.; towards the median plane of an organ or limb.
Medium
A surrounding environment in which something functions and thrives.
Median
(statistics) Having the median as its value.
Medium
The substance in which a specific organism lives and thrives.
Median
Being in the middle; running through the middle; as, a median groove.
Medium
A culture medium.
Median
Situated in the middle; lying in a plane dividing a bilateral animal into right and left halves; - said of unpaired organs and parts; as, median coverts.
Medium
A specific kind of artistic technique or means of expression as determined by the materials used or the creative methods involved
The medium of lithography.
Median
A median line or point.
Medium
The materials used in a specific artistic technique
Oils as a medium.
Median
The value below which 50% of the cases fall
Medium
A solvent with which paint is thinned to the proper consistency.
Median
Relating to or constituting the middle value of an ordered set of values (or the average of the middle two in an even-numbered set);
The median value of 17, 20, and 36 is 20
The median income for the year was $15,000
Medium
(Chemistry) A filtering substance, such as filter paper.
Median
Dividing an animal into right and left halves
Medium
Occurring or being between two degrees, amounts, or quantities; intermediate
Ordered a medium coffee.
Median
Relating to or situated in or extending toward the middle
Medium
The material of the surrounding environment, e.g. solid, liquid, gas, vacuum, or a specific substance such as a solvent.
Medium
The materials or empty space through which signals, waves, or forces pass.
Medium
A format for communicating or presenting information.
Medium
(microbiology) A nutrient substance, commonly a solution or solid, for the growth of cells in vitro.
Medium
(biology, horticulture etc.) A substance, structure, or environment in which living organisms subsist, grow or are cultured.
Medium
A means, channel, agency or go-between through which communication, commerce, etc is conveyed or carried on, or by which an aim is achieved.
Medium
(engineering) The materials used to finish a workpiece using a mass finishing or abrasive blasting process.
Medium
A liquid base which carries pigment in paint.
Medium
(painting) A means of expression, in the arts, such as a material (oil, pastel, clay, etc) or method or style (expressionism, jazz, etc).
Acrylics, oils, charcoal, and gouache are all mediums I used in my painting.
Medium
Someone who supposedly conveys information from the spirit world.
Medium
An item labelled or denoted as being that size.
Medium
One who fits an item of that size.
Medium
A half-pint serving of Guinness (or other stout in some regions).
Medium
(countable) A middle place or degree.
A happy medium
Medium
An average; sometimes the mathematical mean.
Medium
The mean or middle term of a syllogism, that by which the extremes are brought into connection.
Medium
(obsolete) Arithmetically average.
Medium
Of intermediate size, degree, amount etc.
Medium
Of meat, cooked to a point greater than rare but less than well done; typically, so the meat is still red in the centre.
Medium
That is medium the manufactured size.
Medium
To a medium extent.
Medium
That which lies in the middle, or between other things; intervening body or quantity.
The just medium . . . lies between pride and abjection.
Medium
See Mean.
Medium
A substance through which an effect is transmitted from one thing to another; as, air is the common medium of sound.
Whether any other liquors, being made mediums, cause a diversity of sound from water, it may be tried.
I must bring togetherAll these extremes; and must remove all mediums.
Medium
An average.
A medium of six years of war, and six years of peace.
Medium
A trade name for printing and writing paper of certain sizes. See Paper.
Medium
The liquid vehicle with which dry colors are ground and prepared for application.
Medium
A source of nutrients in which a microorganism is placed to permit its growth, cause it to produce substances, or observe its activity under defined conditions; also called culture medium or growth medium. The medium is usually a solution of nutrients in water, or a similar solution solidified with gelatin or agar.
Medium
A means of transmission of news, advertising, or other messages from an information source to the public, also called a news medium, such as a newspaper or radio; used mostly in the plural form, i. e. news media or media. See 1st media{2}.
Medium
Having a middle position or degree; mean; intermediate; medial; as, a horse of medium size; a decoction of medium strength.
Medium
A means or instrumentality for storing or communicating information
Medium
The surrounding environment;
Fish require an aqueous medium
Medium
An intervening substance through which signals can travel as a means for communication
Medium
(bacteriology) a nutrient substance (solid or liquid) that is used to cultivate micro-organisms
Medium
An intervening substance through which something is achieved;
The dissolving medium is called a solvent
Medium
A liquid with which pigment is mixed by a painter
Medium
(biology) a substance in which specimens are preserved or displayed
Medium
A state that is intermediate between extremes; a middle position;
A happy medium
Medium
Transmissions that are disseminated widely to the public
Medium
An occupation for which you are especially well suited;
In law he found his true metier
Medium
Around the middle of a scale of evaluation of physical measures;
An orange of average size
Intermediate capacity
A plane with intermediate range
Medium bombers
Medium
(of meat) cooked until there is just a little pink meat inside
Common Curiosities
Can medium refer to digital platforms?
Yes, digital platforms like social media or websites are considered mediums in the context of communication and art.
Is the median always a number found in the dataset?
In an odd-numbered dataset, yes, but for even-numbered datasets, the median may be the average of two numbers, which might not be a specific data point.
Are there instances where median and medium might intersect in their applications?
While their primary applications are distinct (median in statistics and medium in various fields), the concept of a "median" could theoretically be discussed in the context of measuring central tendencies in qualitative analyses of media, but such instances are rare and contextually specific.
How does the choice of medium affect artistic expression?
The choice of medium can significantly influence the texture, form, and overall perception of an artwork, affecting its communication and impact.
Can the medium in science change the outcome of an experiment?
Yes, the properties of the medium, such as its density, temperature, or composition, can significantly affect experimental outcomes, especially in physics and chemistry.
In what situations might a medium be considered ineffective?
A medium can be considered ineffective if it does not properly convey the intended message, fails to reach or engage the target audience, or distorts the information or artistic expression due to its inherent limitations.
Why is median considered a better measure in skewed distributions?
Median is less influenced by outliers and extreme values, providing a more accurate central point in skewed distributions.
How do researchers choose the appropriate median or medium for their work?
Researchers choose the median based on the data's distribution and goal of analysis. The choice of medium depends on the intended message, audience, and context of communication or artistic expression.
Can the choice of medium influence the perception of a message or artwork?
Yes, the medium can greatly influence how a message or artwork is perceived. The characteristics and sensory modalities of the medium can affect interpretation, emotional response, and the overall impact on the audience.
Does the median provide any information about the spread of the data?
The median itself does not reflect the spread or variability of the data; it only indicates the central point. Measures like range, interquartile range, and standard deviation are used to understand data spread.
How do outliers affect the median and medium in their respective contexts?
In statistics, outliers do not significantly affect the median, as it is based on the position of data points rather than their values. In the context of medium, "outliers" might refer to unconventional choices that can either innovate and enhance the message or expression or, if poorly executed, hinder communication and aesthetic appreciation.
How is the median affected by adding more data to a dataset?
Adding more data can shift the median if the new data points are significantly higher or lower than the current values. However, the median's position as the central point may remain stable, especially in large datasets.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
