Oil field pipes are internally coated in order to prevent corrosion. Researchers at the University of Louisiana,

Question:

Oil field pipes are internally coated in order to prevent corrosion. Researchers at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, investigated the influence that coating may have on the surface roughness of oil field pipes (Anti-corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 50, 2003). A scanning probe instrument was used to measure the surface roughness of each in a sample of 20 sections of coated interior pipe. The data (in micrometers) are provided in the table.

a. Find and interpret the mean of the sample.
b. Find and interpret the median of the sample.
c. Which measure of central tendency-the mean or the median-best describes the surface roughness of the sampled pipe sections? Explain.