Which statement defines the mean of a data set?

Which statement defines the mean of a data set?

• A. The most frequent value
• B. The middle value when ordered
• C. The arithmetic average computed as sum divided by count
• D. The spread between minimum and maximum

Answer: (C)

The mean is the arithmetic average of a data set. It is found by adding all the numbers and dividing by how many numbers there are. For example, with the values 2, 4, and 6, the sum is 12 and there are 3 values, so the mean is 12 divided by 3, which equals 4. This value represents the balance point of the data. The other descriptions refer to different summary measures: the value that occurs most often is the mode; the middle value when the data are arranged in order is the median; and the spread between the minimum and maximum values is the range. Hence, the statement that the arithmetic average is computed as the sum divided by the count correctly defines the mean.

The mean is the arithmetic average of a data set. It is found by adding all the numbers and dividing by how many numbers there are. For example, with the values 2, 4, and 6, the sum is 12 and there are 3 values, so the mean is 12 divided by 3, which equals 4. This value represents the balance point of the data.

The other descriptions refer to different summary measures: the value that occurs most often is the mode; the middle value when the data are arranged in order is the median; and the spread between the minimum and maximum values is the range. Hence, the statement that the arithmetic average is computed as the sum divided by the count correctly defines the mean.