7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range

Warm Up
Problem of the Day
Lesson Presentation

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range

Warm Up
Order the numbers from least to greatest.
1. 7, 4, 15, 9, 5, 2 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 15
2. 70, 21, 36, 54, 22 21, 22, 36, 54, 70

Divide.
3. 820  4 205
4. 650  10 65
5. 1,125  25 45
6. 2,275 7 325

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range

Problem of the Day

Complete the expression using the
numbers 3, 4, and 5 so that it equals 19.

4 + 5  3
or 4 + 3  5

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range

Learn to find the mean, median, mode,

and range of a data set.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range

Vocabulary
mean
median
mode
range
outlier

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
The mean is the sum of the data Helpful Hint
values divided by the number of The mean is
data items. sometimes called
The median is the middle value of an
the average.
odd number of data items arranged
in order. For an even number of data items, the
median is the average of the two middle values.

The mode is the value or values that occur most

often. When all the data values occur the same
number of times, there is no mode.

The range of a set of data is the difference

between the greatest and least values. It is used
to show the spread of the data in a data set.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Additional Example 1: Finding the Mean, Median,
Mode, and Range of Data

Find the mean, median, mode, and range of the data set.

4, 7, 8, 2, 1, 2, 4, 2

mean:
4 + 7 + 8 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 4 + 2 = 30 Add the values.

8 items sum
Divide the sum by the
30  8 = 3.75 number of items.

The mean is 3.75.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Additional Example 1 Continued

Find the mean, median, mode, and range of the data set.

4, 7, 8, 2, 1, 2, 4, 2

median:
1, 2, 2, 2, 4, 4, 7, 8 Arrange the values in order.

2+4=6 There are two middle values, so

find the mean of these two values.
62=3

The median is 3.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Additional Example 1 Continued

Find the mean, median, mode, and range of the data set.

4, 7, 8, 2, 1, 2, 4, 2

mode:
1, 2, 2, 2, 4, 4, 7, 8 The value 2 occurs three times.

The mode is 2.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Additional Example 1 Continued

Find the mean, median, mode, and range of the data set.

4, 7, 8, 2, 1, 2, 4, 2

range:
1, 2, 2, 2, 4, 4, 7, 8 Subtract the least value
from the greatest value.

8– 1 = 7

The range is 7.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Check It Out: Example 1

Find the mean, median, mode, and range of the data set.
6, 4, 3, 5, 2, 5, 1, 8

mean:
6 + 4 + 3 + 5 + 2 + 5 + 1 + 8 = 34 Add the values.

8 items sum

34  8 = 4.25 Divide the sum

by the number of items.
The mean is 4.25.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Check It Out: Example 1 Continued

Find the mean, median, mode, and range of the data set.
6, 4, 3, 5, 2, 5, 1, 8

median:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 8 Arrange the values in order.

4+5=9 There are two middle values, so find

the mean of these two values.
9  2 = 4.5

The median is 4.5.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Check It Out: Example 1 Continued

Find the mean, median, mode, and range of the data set.
6, 4, 3, 5, 2, 5, 1, 8

mode:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 8 The value 5 occurs two times.

The mode is 5.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Check It Out: Example 1 Continued

Find the mean, median, mode, and range of the data set.
6, 4, 3, 5, 2, 5, 1, 8

range:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6, 8 Subtract the least value
from the greatest value.

8– 1 = 7

The range is 7.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Additional Example 2: Choosing the Best Measure to
Describe a Set of Data

The line plot shows the number of miles each

of the 17 members of the cross-country team
ran in a week. Which measure of central
tendency best describes this data? Justify your
answer.
X
X XX
X XX XX
X X XX XX
X X

4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Additional Example 2 Continued

The line plot shows the number of miles each

of the 17 members of the cross-country team
ran in a week. Which measure of central
tendency best describes this data? Justify your
answer.
mean:
4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 6 + 6 + 14 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 16 + 16
17
=153 = 9
17
The mean is 9. The mean best describes the data
set because the data is clustered fairly evenly
about two areas.
Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Additional Example 2 Continued

The line plot shows the number of miles each

of the 17 members of the cross-country team
ran in a week. Which measure of central
tendency best describes this data? Justify your
answer.
median:
4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 14, 15, 15, 15, 15,
16, 16
The median is 6. The median does not best
describe the data set because many values are
not clustered around the data value 6.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Additional Example 2 Continued

The line plot shows the number of miles each

of the 17 members of the cross-country team
ran in a week. Which measure of central
tendency best describes this data? Justify your
answer.
mode:
The greatest number of X’s occur above the
number 4 on the line plot.

The mode is 4.
The mode focuses on one data value and does not
describe the data set.
Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Check It Out: Example 2

The line plot shows the number of dollars each

of the 10 members of the cheerleading team
raised in a week. Which measure of central
tendency best describes this data? Justify your
answer.

XX
XX
XX XX
X X

10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Check It Out: Example 2 Continued

The line plot shows the number of dollars each

of the 10 members of the cheerleading team
raised in a week. Which measure of central
tendency best describes this data? Justify your
answer.
mean:
15 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 20 + 20 + 40 + 60 + 60 + 70
10
= 330 = 33
10
The mean is 33. Most of the cheerleaders raised
less than $33, so the mean does not describe the
data set best.
Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Check It Out: Example 2 Continued

The line plot shows the number of dollars each

of the 10 members of the cheerleading team
raised in a week. Which measure of central
tendency best describes this data? Justify your
answer.

median:
15, 15, 15, 15, 20, 20, 40, 60, 60, 70

The median is 20. The median best describes the

data set because it is closest to the amount most
cheerleaders raised.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Check It Out: Example 2 Continued

The line plot shows the number of dollars each

of the 10 members of the cheerleading team
raised in a week. Which measure of central
tendency best describes this data? Justify your
answer.
mode:
The greatest number of X’s occur above the
number 15 on the line plot.

The mode is 15.

The mode focuses on one data value and does not
describe the data set.
Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range

Measure Most Useful When

mean The data are spread fairly evenly
median The data set has an outlier
mode The data involve a subject in which
many data points of one value are
important, such as election results.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range

In the data set below, the value 12 is much less than

the other values in the set. An extreme value such as
this is called an outlier.

35, 38, 27, 12, 30, 41, 31, 35

x
x x xx x x x

10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Additional Example 3: Exploring the Effects of
Outliers on Measures of Central Tendency

The data shows Sara’s scores for the last 5

math tests: 88, 90, 55, 94, and 89. Identify the
outlier in the data set. Then determine how
the outlier affects the mean, median, and
mode of the data. Then tell which measure of
central tendency best describes the data with
the outlier.

55, 88, 89, 90, 94

outlier 55

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Additional Example 3 Continued

With the Outlier

55, 88, 89, 90, 94
outlier 55

mean: median: mode:

55+88+89+90+94 = 416 55, 88, 89, 90, 94
416  5 = 83.2
The mean is 83.2. The median is 89. There is no mode.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Additional Example 3 Continued

Without the Outlier

55, 88, 89, 90, 94

mean: median: mode:

88+89+90+94 = 361 88, 89,+90, 94
361  4 = 90.25 2
= 89.5
The mean is 90.25.
The median is 89.5. There is no mode.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range

Caution!
Since all the data values occur the same
number of times, the set has no mode.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Additional Example 3 Continued

Without the Outlier With the Outlier

mean 90.25 83.2
median 89.5 89
mode no mode no mode

Adding the outlier decreased the mean by 7.05

and the median by 0.5.
The mode did not change.
The median best describes the data with the
outlier.
Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Check It Out: Example 3

Identify the outlier in the data set. Then

determine how the outlier affects the mean,
median, and mode of the data. The tell
which measure of central tendency best
describes the data with the outlier.
63, 58, 57, 61, 42
42, 57, 58, 61, 63

outlier 42

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Check It Out: Example 3 Continued

With the Outlier

42, 57, 58, 61, 63
outlier 42

mean: median: mode:

42+57+58+61+63 = 281 42, 57, 58, 61, 63
281  5 = 56.2
The mean is 56.2. The median is 58. There is no mode.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Check It Out: Example 3 Continued

Without the Outlier

42, 57, 58, 61, 63

mean: median: mode:

57+58+61+63 = 239 57, 58,+61, 63
239  4 = 59.75 2
= 59.5
The mean is 59.75.
The median is 59.5. There is no mode.

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Check It Out: Example 3 Continued

Without the Outlier With the Outlier

mean 59.75 56.2
median 59.5 58
mode no mode no mode

Adding the outlier decreased the mean by 3.55

and decreased the median by 1.5.
The mode did not change.
The median best describes the data with the
outlier.
Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Lesson Quiz: Part I

1. Find the mean, median, mode, and range of

the data set. 8, 10, 46, 37, 20, 8, and 11

mean: 20; median: 11; mode: 8; range: 38

Course 2
 7-2 Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
Lesson Quiz: Part II
2. Identify the outlier in the data set, and determine how the
outlier affects the mean, median, and mode of the data.
Then tell which measure of central tendency best describes
the data with and without the outlier. Justify your answer.
85, 91, 83, 78, 79, 64, 81, 97
The outlier is 64. Without the outlier the mean is 85, the
median is 83, and there is no mode. With the outlier the
mean is 82, the median is 82, and there is no mode.
Including the outlier decreases the mean by 3 and the
median by 1, there is no mode. Because they have the same
value and there is no outlier, the median and mean describes
the data with the outlier. The median best describes the data
without the outlier because it is closer to more of the other
data values than the mean.

Course 2