The median must be one of the numbers in the data set.

The statement is not always true.

Step 1: Understanding the Median The median is the middle number in a sorted list of numbers. If the list has an odd number of observations, the median is the middle number.

Step 2: Median in an Odd Numbered Data Set For example, in the data set 1, 2, 3, the median is 2, which is a number in the data set.

Step 3: Median in an Even Numbered Data Set However, if the list has an even number of observations, the median is the average of the two middle numbers, and this average may not be a number in the original data set. For example, in the data set 1, 2, 3, 4, the median is (2+3)/2 = 2.5, which is not a number in the original data set.

So, the median does not always have to be a number in the data set.