Answer Questions Using the Mean

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 record the number of goals they scored at a tournament:

Example

Find the mean number of goals scored by group 3.

Answer

Step 1: Find the total number of goals scored by group 3:

2 + 5 + 2 + 7 = 16

Step 2: Now divide the total by how many children there are in the group, which is 4: 

16 ÷ 4 = 4

The mean number of goals scored by group 3 is 4.

Let's have a go at answering some more questions about the mean.