In data analysis, which measure represents the average of a data set?

In data analysis, which measure represents the average of a data set?

• A. The Median.
• B. The Mean.
• C. The Mode.
• D. The Range.

Answer: (B)

Think about what “average” means in data terms: a single value that represents the whole set. The mean does this by adding every data point and dividing by how many points there are, giving a balance point for the data. It uses every observation, so it’s most informative when the data are roughly symmetric and not heavily skewed by outliers. The median is the middle value, the mode is the most frequent value, and the range measures spread from the smallest to the largest value. So the measure that represents the average of a data set is the mean.

Think about what “average” means in data terms: a single value that represents the whole set. The mean does this by adding every data point and dividing by how many points there are, giving a balance point for the data. It uses every observation, so it’s most informative when the data are roughly symmetric and not heavily skewed by outliers. The median is the middle value, the mode is the most frequent value, and the range measures spread from the smallest to the largest value. So the measure that represents the average of a data set is the mean.