📊 Measures of Central Tendency: Mean, Median & Mode (With Easy Examples)
In the world of statistics, measures of central tendency help us understand the "center" or average of a dataset. Whether you're a student or data analyst, these tools are essential for summarizing large sets of data into meaningful insights.
1️⃣ What is Mean?
Mean (also called the average) is found by adding all values together and dividing by how many values there are.
Example:
Numbers: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50
Mean = (10 + 20 + 30 + 40 + 50) / 5 = 30
2️⃣ What is Median?
The median is the middle value when data is sorted in order. If there’s an even number of values, take the average of the two middle ones.
Example (Odd):
Data: 5, 9, 1
Sorted: 1, 5, 9 → Median = 5
Example (Even):
Data: 4, 6, 8, 10
Sorted: 4, 6, 8, 10 → Median = (6 + 8) / 2 = 7
3️⃣ What is Mode?
The mode is the value that appears most frequently in a data set. A set can have no mode, one mode, or many modes.
Example:
Data: 2, 4, 4, 6, 7
4 appears most → Mode = 4
📌 Summary Table
| Measure | Definition | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | Average of all numbers | Use when data has no outliers |
| Median | Middle value | Best for skewed data |
| Mode | Most frequent value | Great for categorical data |
🧠 Real-Life Uses
- 🎯 Pharma Companies use Mean to calculate average sales.
- 🏥 Doctors use Median to find typical recovery time.
- 🛍️ Retailers use Mode to find most sold products.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can a dataset have more than one mode?
Yes! If two or more values occur equally often, it’s called bimodal or multimodal.
Q: Which is best: Mean, Median, or Mode?
It depends on the data. Median is better if there are outliers. Mean is great for balanced data.
🔍 Related Searches
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📌 Written by Bright Pharma Team | Visit us: www.brightpharma.in
