The average is a single number that represents a set of data, typically calculated as the arithmetic mean. The arithmetic mean is found by summing all the numbers in the set and then dividing by the count of those numbers. For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, and 9 is calculated as (2 + 3
- 4 + 7 + 9) ÷ 5 = 5
. There are other types of averages as well, including the median (the middle value) and the mode (the most frequent value), but the arithmetic mean is the most commonly used in everyday contexts
. Average (Arithmetic Mean) Formula:
Average=Sum of all numbersTotal number of numbers\text{Average}=\frac{\text{Sum of all numbers}}{\text{Total number of numbers}}Average=Total number of numbersSum of all numbers
For example, if you have the numbers 24, 55, 17, 87, and 100, their average is:
24+55+17+87+1005=2835=56.6\frac{24+55+17+87+100}{5}=\frac{283}{5}=56.6524+55+17+87+100=5283=56.6
This formula applies to any set of numbers and is widely used in statistics and daily life
. In summary, the average is a measure of central tendency that summarizes a group of numbers by a single representative value, most commonly the arithmetic mean calculated as the sum divided by the count of numbers
