Averages describe a data set — Data, 11–13
Mean, median, mode and range answer different questions about a collection of numbers. Data, 11–13 years.
Different summaries
The mean shares a total equally, the median is the middle after ordering, and the mode is the most frequent value. The range shows the distance from the smallest to the largest value. These summaries compress data, but each keeps a different part of its story.
Why use a summary?
A long list is hard to compare with another list or to report in one sentence. A summary gives a quick description, while the choice depends on the question. The mean is useful for a fair share, the median for a typical middle, and the range for how spread out the values are.
Four useful calculations
For 3, 5, 5, 7, 10, add to get 30 and divide by 5: mean = 6. Put the values in order: the middle value is median = 5. The value appearing most is mode = 5. Subtract 3 from 10: range = 7. Each answer describes the same data differently.
The mean is not always typical
Many people assume the mean must be one of the values or must describe a real person. That feels natural because “average” sounds like a normal example. But 2, 2 and 11 have mean 5; the median is 2, which better represents most of this small group.
Summaries outside school
A sports team can compare a player's mean score and the range of their performances. A travel site may show a median price so one unusually expensive trip does not dominate the picture. News reports use averages of temperatures, wages or test results, and the choice of summary affects what readers notice.
Keep exploring
Other languages
Loading MyLeoNes™…