Which of the following best describes the term 'mean' in statistics?

Which of the following best describes the term 'mean' in statistics?

• A. The middle value of a data set.
• B. The most frequently occurring value.
• C. The average of all the values.
• D. The range of the data set.

Answer: (C)

The term 'mean' in statistics refers specifically to the average of all the values in a data set. To calculate the mean, you sum all the values and then divide by the number of values in the set. This measure is a central tendency that gives a general idea of where the data points are located in relation to one another, providing insight into the overall distribution of the data. In contrast, the middle value of a data set refers to the median, which is a different measure of central tendency. The most frequently occurring value is known as the mode, which identifies the most common data point rather than an average. The range represents the difference between the largest and smallest values and does not provide any information about the average. Understanding these distinctions is important for accurately interpreting and calculating different statistical measures.

The term 'mean' in statistics refers specifically to the average of all the values in a data set. To calculate the mean, you sum all the values and then divide by the number of values in the set. This measure is a central tendency that gives a general idea of where the data points are located in relation to one another, providing insight into the overall distribution of the data.

In contrast, the middle value of a data set refers to the median, which is a different measure of central tendency. The most frequently occurring value is known as the mode, which identifies the most common data point rather than an average. The range represents the difference between the largest and smallest values and does not provide any information about the average. Understanding these distinctions is important for accurately interpreting and calculating different statistical measures.