LearnMiddle School MathPowers, geometry and data

Mean, median and range

Three different ways to describe a list of numbers.

Lesson 3 of 3

Middle School Math: Powers, geometry and data

Mean is what each would get if the total were shared equally. Median is the middle value when the list is sorted.

Data: 1, 2, 2, 3, 7. The mean is 3 and the median is 2.

Work through it

Find the mean of 4, 8, 9.

Add.

Divide by 3, the number of values.

Find the median of 9, 2, 5, 7.

Sort.

Even count: average the middle two.

Watch out for this

Taking the middle without sorting.

The median only means something once the list is in order.

The short version
Mean: add them, divide by how many. Median: sort, take the middle. Range: biggest minus smallest.

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