Mean Calculator (Average)

Understanding Mean, Median, and Mode

These are the three main measures of central tendency used in statistics to describe the center of a dataset.

Mean (Arithmetic Average)

Mean = Sum of all values ÷ Number of values

• Best for: Normally distributed data without outliers
• Pros: Uses all data points, most common measure
• Cons: Sensitive to outliers and extreme values

Median

The middle value when data is sorted. For even datasets, average of two middle values.

• Best for: Skewed distributions or data with outliers
• Pros: Not affected by extreme values
• Example: Median income is often more representative than mean income

Mode

The value that appears most frequently in the dataset.

• Best for: Categorical data or finding most common value
• Note: A dataset can have multiple modes (bimodal, multimodal) or no mode

When to Use Each Measure

• Normal Distribution: Mean, median, and mode are similar
• Skewed Distribution: Median is more representative
• Outliers Present: Use median instead of mean
• Categorical Data: Use mode

Example

Dataset: 10, 15, 20, 20, 25, 30, 100

• Mean: 31.4 (affected by outlier 100)
• Median: 20 (more representative)
• Mode: 20 (most frequent)

Note: For accurate statistical analysis, consider using all three measures together to understand your data distribution.