Calculating the Mean | A Comprehensive Guide to Finding the Average in Statistics

Mean

The mean, also referred to as the average, is a measure of central tendency in statistics

The mean, also referred to as the average, is a measure of central tendency in statistics. It is obtained by summing up all the values in a dataset and dividing the sum by the total number of values.

To calculate the mean, follow these steps:
1. Add up all the numbers in the dataset.
2. Count the total number of values in the dataset.
3. Divide the sum by the count to find the mean.

For example, let’s find the mean of the following dataset: 5, 7, 3, 9, 12

1. Sum of the numbers: 5 + 7 + 3 + 9 + 12 = 36
2. Count: There are 5 values in the dataset.
3. Mean: 36 ÷ 5 = 7.2

Therefore, the mean of the dataset is 7.2.

The mean is commonly used to represent the “typical” value of a dataset. However, it can be affected by outliers, which are extreme values that differ significantly from the rest of the data. It is important to consider other measures of central tendency, such as the median and mode, in conjunction with the mean to gain a comprehensive understanding of the data.

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