Q2 Average Flashcards
Types of “average”
- Mean
- Median
- Mode
Why are there three types of average?
- Each is a way to measure what is central
- Measures of central tendency
- Describe what is typical
Mode
The most frequently occurring number in the set
Mean
The sum of the values divided by the number of the values
Median
The midpoint of the numbers in order
How to find the median with an even number of items
It is the mean of the middle two numbers
Most rare type of average
Mode
Typical uses for mode
- Most typical blood type
- Average clothing size
Most common type of average
Mean
Common uses for mean
- College GPA
- Typical temperature
- Football game attendance
When is the mean the best average to use?
When number sets lack a potential for extremes
When is the median the best average to use?
When number sets have a potential for an outlier
What does an outlier in a number set do?
It skews the mean, making it a misleading measurement
How can mean be used in a way that can mislead?
The mean can overstate what is typical when it comes to money
An ad saying you can save a mean of $749 is misleading. Why?
- A person expecting to save that much is likely to be disappointed
- Median would be a better average
