Quickly find the mean of the data with this user-friendly guide
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In mathematics, the "mean" is a kind of average found by dividing the sum of a set of numbers by the count of numbers in the set.[1] While it isn't the only kind of average, the mean is the one most people think of when speaking about an average. You can use means for all kinds of useful purposes in your daily life, from calculating the time it takes you to get home from work, to working out how much money you spend in an average week.[2]

Steps

  1. 1
    Determine the set of values you want to average.[3] These numbers can be big or small, and there can be as many of them as you want.[4] Just make sure you are using real numbers and not variables.
    • Example: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
  2. 2
    Add your values together to find the sum. You can use a calculator, by hand, or a spreadsheet application to do so.[5]
    • Example:
  3. 3
    Count the number of values in your group. Count all of the numbers added up. Identical values should still be counted, meaning if you have values that repeat in your set, each one still counts in determining your total. Do not include the sum (answer) of all the numbers added up when counting the quantity of the values.[6]
    • Example: 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 make for a total of five values.
  4. 4
    Divide the sum of the set by the number of values. The result is the mean (a type of average) of your set. This implies that if each number in your set was the mean, they would add up to the same total.[7]
    • Example: . Therefore, 4 is the mean of the numbers. You can check your calculations by multiplying the mean by the number of values in the set. In this case, multiply (the mean) by the (the number of values in the set) and your result will be ().

Community Q&A

  • Question
    What do I do if my mean/average has a remainder?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Convert the remainder to a decimal or fraction. For example: the average of 5, 12, and 17 is 34 ÷ 3, which is 11 with a remainder of 1. Convert the remainder to the fraction 1/3 or the decimal .33. Thus, the average is 11-1/3 or 11.33.
  • Question
    How do I calculate the mode?
    Community Answer
    It is the number in a set which appears most often. In the set {1 7 9 0 4 5 4}, 4 is the mode.
  • Question
    How do I find the range?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    The range of a data set is the difference between the largest number and the smallest number in the set.
See more answers

Video

Tips

  • Other kinds of averages include the median and mode.[8] The mode is the value repeated most often in any set. The median is the number in a set with an equal quantity of values in the set greater and smaller than it. These averages will often produce different results than the mean from the same set of numbers.[9]

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about mathematics, check out our in-depth interview with Jake Adams.

About This Article

Co-authored by:
Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist
This article was co-authored by Jake Adams. Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. This article has been viewed 369,948 times.
Co-authors: 42
Updated: February 22, 2024
Views: 369,948
Article Rating: 68% - 5 votes
Article SummaryX

To calculate the mean of a set of numbers, start by adding up all of the values together to find the sum. Then, count all of the numbers that you added up. Finally, divide the sum of the set by the number of values to get the mean. If you want to learn what to do if the mean has a remainder, keep reading the article!

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 369,948 times.

Reader Success Stories

  • Anna V.

    May 23, 2023

    "I studied for a test and you showed a clear and good way to help calculate the mean."

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