Math Monday: mean, median, mode, range

What is another word for mean?

• median

• average

• mode

• sum

• quotient

When we say "average", what are we usually talking about?

• mean

  x̄

• median

• mode

• sum

  Σ

Which of the following statistics indicate "central tendency"?

• mean

  x̄

• median

• mode

• sum

  Σ

What is the mean of the following numbers?

10 11 11

(calculate x̄ to 2 decimal places)

Answer explanation

Σ = 10 + 11 + 11 = 32

n = 3

x̄ = Σ ÷ n

x̄ = 32 ÷ 3 = 10.67

When given an ordered list of values, which statistic tells us the middle value?

• mean

  x̄

• median

• mode

• sum

  Σ

What is the median for the following list of numbers?

3 7 11 12 12 12 18

Answer explanation

3 7 11 12 12 12 18

There are 3 numbers before and

3 numbers after the underlined number.

When given an ordered list of values, which statistic tells us the most common value?

• mean

  x̄

• median

• mode

• sum

  Σ

What is the mode for the following list of numbers?

2 7 7 12 18 18 18 20

Answer explanation

2 7 7 12 18 18 18 20

There are 3 #18s in the list, but only 2 #7s and just 1 of everything else.

Why do we use multiple descriptive statistics when summarizing our data? (pick 2)

• because outliers can throw off averages

• because mathematicians need jobs

• different statistics give different pictures of data

Match the following statistics with their definitions:

• most common number

• mean

  x̄

• middle of number string

• sum

• total sum ÷ n numbers

• mode

• total of all numbers

• median