What is the median of the following set of numbers: 3, 7, 8, 12, 14?

To determine the median of the set of numbers 3, 7, 8, 12, and 14, you first need to arrange the numbers in ascending order, which they already are: 3, 7, 8, 12, 14.

The median is defined as the middle number in a set when the numbers are listed in ascending order. For a set with an odd number of elements, the median is simply the number that divides the set into two equal halves. In this case, since there are five numbers, the middle number is the third one when they are arranged in order.

Counting to find the middle of this arranged list, the first number is 3, the second is 7, and the third is 8. Thus, 8 is the median because it is the central value that separates the lower half (3, 7) from the upper half (12, 14).

This understanding confirms that the median of the set is indeed 8.