Measures of Central Tendency

Study Notes

Measures of Central Tendency

Calculating Mean

The mean is a measure of central tendency that represents the average value of a dataset.
It is calculated by summing up all the values in the dataset and dividing by the number of values.
Formula: μ = (Σx) / n
Where:
- μ is the mean
- Σx is the sum of all values in the dataset
- n is the number of values in the dataset
Example: If a dataset has the values 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, the mean would be (2 + 4 + 6 + 8 + 10) / 5 = 30 / 5 = 6

Understanding Median

The median is a measure of central tendency that represents the middle value of a dataset when it is arranged in order.
It is the value that separates the higher half of the data from the lower half.
If the dataset has an odd number of values, the median is the middle value.
If the dataset has an even number of values, the median is the average of the two middle values.
The median is resistant to outliers, meaning that it is not affected by extreme values in the dataset.

Identifying Mode

The mode is a measure of central tendency that represents the most frequently occurring value in a dataset.
A dataset can have multiple modes if there are multiple values that occur with the same frequency.
The mode is not affected by the presence of outliers in the dataset.
Example: If a dataset has the values 1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, the mode would be 2, because it is the most frequently occurring value.

Description

Test your understanding of mean, median, and mode. Learn how to calculate the average value of a dataset and identify the middle value when it is arranged in order. Practice identifying the most frequently occurring value in a dataset.