Data › Averages
Averages
An average is a single number that stands in for a group. There are several kinds — each tells a different story.
Mean, median, mode, range
Add numbers. Watch the four averages move with them.
Mean
6.43
45 ÷ 7
Median
5
middle value
Mode
5
most common
Range
9
max − min
Mean
Add the values, divide by how many there are. The mean is the balance point of the data.
Mean of 4, 8, 6: (4 + 8 + 6) / 3 = 6.
Median
Sort the values. The middle one is the median. With an even number of values, take the mean of the two middle ones.
Median of 3, 7, 7, 9, 12: 7. Median of 3, 7, 9, 12: (7 + 9) / 2 = 8.
Mode
The value that appears most often. A dataset can have no mode, one mode, or several.
Mode of 2, 5, 5, 5, 8, 9: 5.
Range
The biggest value minus the smallest. It tells you how spread out the data is.
Mean vs median: when it matters