The mean, median, and mode are values commonly used in basic statistics and everyday mathematics. While you can easily look up each other's values, they are very easy to mix up. Read on how to find the value of each of these in a data set.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Finding the Mean
Step 1. Add up all the numbers in the data
Let's say the data are 2, 3, and 4. Add up: 2 + 3 + 4 = 9.
Step 2. Count the number of numbers in the data
In this problem, you solve 3 numbers.
Step 3. Divide the sum of the numbers by the sum of the numbers
Now, divide the sum, 9 by the number of records, 3. 9/3 = 3. The mean or average of the entire data set is 3. Remember that you won't always get an integer result.
Method 2 of 3: Finding the Median
Step 1. Sort all the numbers in the data from smallest to largest
Let's say your data are: 4, 2, 8, 1, 15. Sort these numbers from smallest to largest, becoming: 1, 2, 4, 8, 15.
Step 2. Find the middle number of the data
The number you get depends on the number of data that is even or odd. Here's what you need to do in both situations:
- If the number is odd, cross the leftmost number, then the rightmost number, and repeat. If one number remains, that's your median. If you have data 4, 7, 8, 11, and 21, then 8 is your median because it is the middle number of the data.
- If the number is even, cross the numbers to the right and left, and you'll have two numbers left in the middle. Add them together and divide by two to find the median value (If the two middle numbers are the same, then that number is your median). If you have data 1, 2, 5, 3, 7, and 10, then your middle two numbers are 5 and 3. Add 5 and 3 to 8, then divide by 2 so the median is 4.
Method 3 of 3: Search Mode
Step 1. Write down all the numbers in the data
In this problem, you have data 2, 4, 5, 5, 4, and 5. Ordering them from smallest to largest will help you.
Step 2. Find the number that appears the most
Think: The mode is the one that appears the most. In this problem, the number 5 appears the most so that is the mode. If there are two numbers that occur the most, then the data set is called bimodal, and if there are more than 2 numbers that occur the most, then the data set is called multi-modal.
