4,994
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 3:
Line 3: − + Line 10:
Line 10: − +
no edit summary
Another term for average is the [[arithmetic mean]].
Another term for average is the [[arithmetic mean]].
==Other measures of central tendency==
==Other "measures of central tendency"==
An average takes a set of numbers and replaces it with a single number. The average has these properties:
An average takes a set of numbers and replaces it with a single number. The average has these properties:
*If all the numbers in the set are equal, then the average equal to every number in the group. The average of 15, 15, 15, 15, and 15 is 15.
*If all the numbers in the set are equal, then the average equal to every number in the group. The average of 15, 15, 15, 15, and 15 is 15.
Because of these characteristics, an average takes a group of numbers and replaces it with a single number that can be thought of as the center of the group, or as a representative value that can stand for the whole group.
Because of these characteristics, an average takes a group of numbers and replaces it with a single number that can be thought of as the center of the group, or as a representative value that can stand for the whole group.
The average is ''not'' measurement with these characteristics. It is one of a number of ''measures of central tendency.'' All of them replace a group of numbers with a single number that falls somewhere within the group.
The average is ''not'' the only measurement with these characteristics. It is one of a number of ''measures of central tendency.'' All of them replace a group of numbers with a single number that falls somewhere within the group.
Because the average is familiar and easily calculated, it is often chosen as the single number that summarizes a group. Depending on how the number is to be used, sometimes the average is a good choice, sometimes it is not, so it is important to understand the other choices.
Because the average is familiar and easily calculated, it is often chosen as the single number that summarizes a group. Depending on how the number is to be used, sometimes the average is a good choice, sometimes it is not, so it is important to understand the other choices.