What is the age of the middle puppy?

Question

Bully's family is composed of 2 grown dog parents and 3 puppies.  The family's median age is 7, the mode is 34, the minimum age is 1, and the mean age is 16.  What is the age of the middle puppy?

Answer 1

The data supplied, for a family of five dogs, is erroneous because it declares that the two grown dogs have ages thirty-four each. Definitely not believable. Nevertheless...

 

This implies that, from least to greatest, the P1 P2 P3 A1 A2 (puppy ages & adult dog ages) must be 1, 2, 7, 34, 34 so that average (mean) is 16; (1+P2+7+34+34)/5 = 16.

Thus 80 = (1+P2+7+34+34)

80 - P2 +76

P2 = 4

 

The age of the middle dog is 4.  Those adult dogs may have set a record, though!