Averages – Mean Median Mode

Image Source: Google Images

In this lesson we look at how to calculate the Mean, Median, Mode, and Range.

We then include a SlideShare presentation at the end that shows how to do these same calculations quickly using Microsoft Excel.

The Mean, Median, and Mode represent three different ways of finding the “Average” value for a group of numbers.

Often the “Median” or Middle value is used to express an Average for cases where there can be large variations in values at the high and low ends of the group.

Typical Examples of this are Median Income, Median House Price, Median Car Price, and so on.

Let us now look at how we calculate each of these three different types of mathematical average.

The “Mean” Average

The “Mean” is kind of mean and nasty because we have to do a lot of adding up and dividing to get the answer.

It is probably the average which is hardest to do the maths working out for.

The “Median” Average

The Median is the middle value of our items, after we have first written our items out in order from lowest to highest.

Remember: Median = Middle (like the median strip that runs down the middle of a multi-lane divided road).

If we have an odd number of items, and put them into order, there will only be one item in the middle for the Median.

However, if there is an even number of items, then after we put the items in order, there will be two items in the middle.

What we do is find the halfway point in between these two items, by adding the two items together, and then dividing by two.

This halfway point average is the Median of the data.

The “Mode” Average

The Mode is a useful average when we have repeating values in our data.

The value which repeats the most, is the one which we call the Mode.
Remember: Mode = Most Of.

Calculating Averages Using MS Excel

The following SlideShare presentation takes the material from this lesson and shows how it can be processed using Microsoft Excel functionality.
Click the bottom right hand corner icon to go to full screen, and use the escape key to return to this web page.

If you are using an ipad or ipod to view the presentation, then simply swipe your finger across each slide to go forward and backward through the slide show.

[slideshare id=3416954&doc=medianmeanmode-100312213723-phpapp01]

Credits and References

Original PowerPoint slides for Mean and Median came from the Internet and were written by Mike Crowley.

Mike’s PowerPoint was then modified and added to by Passy’s World to include the use of Excel statistics functionality.

Mean Median Mode Videos

Here is a four minute video which shows the basics of calculating the Mean, Median, Mode, and Range.

The guy who made this video has some interesting little songs and ideas for memorizing what to do for each calculation.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTSoVQiNf5o]

Here is a more detailed thirteen minute video on exactly how to calculate the Mean Median, Mode and Range. This video includes all of the working out steps which need to be done.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY66ImqDwcA]

Mean Median Mode Song

The following one and a half minute musical animation covers how to calculate the Mean Median and Mode.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uydzT_WiRz4]

Funny Mean Median and Mode Music Video

This next video is a bit different, but covers how to calculate mathematical averages in a very entertaining way.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH2obAPwfqk]

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Real World Charts and Graphs

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