There are several different types of averages.
An average is one number that represents a set of numbers.
The mean is a number that we calculate by adding up all the numbers in the set and dividing this total by how many numbers there are.
Three groups of children decide to measure their heights:
Example
Find the mean height of group 3.
Answer
Step 1: Find the total height from group 3:
126 + 138 + 138 + 142 = 544
Step 2: Now divide the total by how many heights there are in the group, which is 4:
544 ÷ 4 = 136
The mean height of group 1 is 136 cm.
Let's try some questions on the mean now.