To find the mean (also called the average) of a set of numbers, follow these steps:
- Add up all the numbers in the data set to get the total sum.
- Count how many numbers are in the data set.
- Divide the total sum by the count of numbers.
The formula for the mean xˉ\bar{x}xˉ is:
xˉ=sum of all valuesnumber of values\bar{x}=\frac{\text{sum of all values}}{\text{number of values}}xˉ=number of valuessum of all values
Example
For the numbers: 3, 11, 4, 6, 8, 9, 6
- Add them: 3+11+4+6+8+9+6=473+11+4+6+8+9+6=473+11+4+6+8+9+6=47
- Count: There are 7 numbers
- Divide: 47÷7=6.747\div 7=6.747÷7=6.7
So, the mean is 6.7
. This method works the same even if the numbers include decimals or negative values. The mean represents the central or typical value of the data set.
