What is the median of the following values: 18.5, 18.4, 18.6, 18.7, 18.3?

To find the median of a set of values, one must first arrange the numbers in order. In this case, the values 18.5, 18.4, 18.6, 18.7, and 18.3 can be ordered as follows: 18.3, 18.4, 18.5, 18.6, 18.7.

The median is the middle number in a sorted list. Since there are five numbers in this list, the median is the third value when the numbers are arranged in ascending order. In the ordered set, the third number is 18.5.

Therefore, the median of the given values is 18.5. This understanding of how to determine the median is essential in analytical chemistry when dealing with datasets, as the median provides a measure of central tendency that is less affected by outliers than the mean.