describe situations in which one measure of central tendency (mean, median, mode) is the most appropriate. include one situation using the mean, one using the median, one using the mode.
2006-09-16 13:27:14 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Homework Help
Mean is the most useful where there isn't huge atypical variation, and where data sets are linear (they progress, like 1,2,3 and 1+2=3...). You tend to use the other measurements where there are big numbers at either side throwing off the average. So if you assessed the average income of a street with 10 houses on and the guy at number 10 was a billionaire, the mean would be useless because it wouldn't reflect reality in any useful way.
So examples of situations:
Mean: Average grade achieved by a particular class (A through fail means no extreme figures throwing off average). The purpose of GPA is exactly that, assigning a numerical mean.
Mode: Most common number when people are asked to pick a number from 1-10. The mode simply is the most popular number, any other averaging measure would not produce a whole number, not to mention the fact that the numbers aren't linear relative (eg number 7 isn't 'bigger' than number 3). The cereal example already mentioned is also a good one.
Median: You'd use the median where a mean-type average is useful, but where you want to exclude extremities. So the above example of a street with one billionaire is a good one.
2006-09-16 13:36:36 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
The mean is the average, add up all your numbers, divide by the number of numbers you have and that gives you an average.
example.
10+10+5+5+3+5+5+10+10=63
63/9=7 (so for this set of answers the mean would be 7)
the median is the middle number, so you rearrange the numbers so that they run in order
3, 5, 5, 5, 5, 10, 10, 10, 10 and pick the middle number, in this case there are 9 numbers, so the 5th number would be exactly in the middle....so the median = 5
the mode is simply which number in the sequence repeats most often, in the previous numbers, it would be either 5 or 10 because they both repeat 4 times.
2006-09-16 20:40:50 · answer #2 · answered by cinquefoil_solis 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, the mode would be most appropriate when you want to know what value appears most often, like in the favorite cereal example in your previous post.
The mean or average is most appropriate when you want to know the average score for your grade or the average cost of something like something you might buy at a grocery store for example.
The median might be most appropriate when you're sort of looking for the average, but there are a bunch of values that are so high you don't really care about them. Like when you want to know more what's typical for someone in the middle of the group.
2006-09-16 20:36:08 · answer #3 · answered by sailing_orienteer 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It sure sounds like you're being too lazy to go to your math book and read it for the answer. It's there, right in the same section where the question comes from. So, I agree with shiloh9i, "Read your math book. The answer's in there." And you can tell by the first several answers you've been given, the responders don't even understand your question!! Get back to your books and get off the computer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God Bless you.
2006-09-16 20:41:08 · answer #4 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
mode
2006-09-16 20:34:33 · answer #5 · answered by Bea L 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
mode
2006-09-16 20:31:30 · answer #6 · answered by Surfer_69 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Read your math book...the answers are in there.
2006-09-16 20:34:40 · answer #7 · answered by Sordenhiemer 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
uhhhhhhhhhh.
2006-09-16 20:29:07 · answer #8 · answered by John16 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋