How is the mean of a series of numbers calculated?

How is the mean of a series of numbers calculated?

• A. Adding all numbers and dividing by two
• B. Finding the middle value of the ordered series
• C. Summing the numbers and dividing by their total count
• D. Identifying the frequent number

Answer: (C)

The mean of a series of numbers is calculated by summing all the numbers in the set and then dividing that sum by the total number of values in the series. This process gives an average that represents a central value of the dataset. For example, if you have the numbers 2, 4, 6, and 8, you would add them together to get 20. Then, since there are four numbers in this series, you would divide 20 by 4, resulting in a mean of 5. This method provides a balanced measure that accounts for all values in the set, making it a valuable statistical tool for analysis. The other methods mentioned do not accurately represent how the mean is derived. Adding all numbers and dividing by two would only give you an average if there were exactly two numbers. Finding the middle value pertains to the median, not the mean, and identifying the frequent number refers to the mode. Each of these represents a different statistical concept, which is key to understanding the distinctive role of the mean in data analysis.

The mean of a series of numbers is calculated by summing all the numbers in the set and then dividing that sum by the total number of values in the series. This process gives an average that represents a central value of the dataset.

For example, if you have the numbers 2, 4, 6, and 8, you would add them together to get 20. Then, since there are four numbers in this series, you would divide 20 by 4, resulting in a mean of 5. This method provides a balanced measure that accounts for all values in the set, making it a valuable statistical tool for analysis.

The other methods mentioned do not accurately represent how the mean is derived. Adding all numbers and dividing by two would only give you an average if there were exactly two numbers. Finding the middle value pertains to the median, not the mean, and identifying the frequent number refers to the mode. Each of these represents a different statistical concept, which is key to understanding the distinctive role of the mean in data analysis.