3 Averages
Worked example 1
What is the mean of these heights?
138 cm, 140 cm, 136 cm, 141 cm, 142 cm, 137 cm
138 + 140+ 136 + 141 + 142 + 137 = 834 Add all the heights together.
You can use mental or written methods, or
use a calculator as appropriate.
There are 6 heights in the set of data. Count how many heights there are in the
set of data.
834 ÷ 6 = 139 Divide the total of all the heights by the
number of heights in the set of data
The mean average of the heights is Make sure you write your answer using the
139 cm correct units.
Exercise 3.1
1 Write the modes and median of each set of measures.
a 4 cm, 4 cm, 5 cm, 5 cm, 6 cm, 7 cm
b 51 mm, 47 mm, 51 mm, 53 mm, 59 mm, 59 mm
c 1.2 m, 1.8 m, 1.1 m, 2.1 m, 1.2 m, 1.8 m, 1.6 m, 1.4 m
d 101 cm, 106 cm, 95 cm, 105 cm, 102 cm, 102 cm, 97 cm, 101 cm
2 What is the mean average for each set of numbers?
a 5, 6, 7
b 9, 9, 2, 8
c 10, 12
d 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
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3.1 Mode, median, mean and range
Tip
3 a hich of these bowlers has the
W
You could use a
highest mean average bowling
calculator or computer
score after six games? to add and divide
the numbers.
Game
1 2 3 4 5 6
Player A 95 108 99 120 95 101
Player B 109 130 124 111 145 131
Player C 138 130 151 157 153 165
Player D 98 154 160 91 129 118
b Players B and D both have the same average bowling score.
Which do you think is the better player? Write a sentence to
convince your partner that B or D is better. Use information from
the table in your sentence.
4 Find the range of each set of numbers. Tip
a 1, 2, 3, 4 b 7, 7, 12, 2
To find the range,
c 34, 33, 70, 5, 6, 8 d 26, 21, 35, 63, 30 subtract the
e 11, 10, 15, 13, 11 f 25, 34, 28, 29 lowest value from
the highest value.
g 91, 105, 116
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3 Averages
5 Find the range in heights of these two groups of children.
Group 1 Group 2
127 cm 130 cm 137 cm 131 cm
152 cm 138 cm 129 cm 143 cm
135 cm 138 cm 136 cm 143 cm
141 cm 132 cm
Which group has the largest range?
Describe how the two groups would look different
because of their different ranges.
6 Kali, Summer, Benji and Kyle are learning to skip.
While they were practising they recorded
how many skips they did in a row.
Here are their attempts:
1st try 2nd try 3rd try 4th try 5th try 6th try 7th try
Kali 6 5 6 6 8 11 7
Summer 3 0 3 8 0 7 0
Benji 0 0 1 0 4 0 2
Kyle 4 7 7 6 2 5 4
a Copy and complete this table:
Range Mode Median Mean
Kali
Summer
Benji
Kyle
b Who do you think has been most successful at skipping?
Explain your answer using the information in your table.
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3.1 Mode, median, mean and range
Reflect on how well you are remembering which measure
is which and the words mode, median, mean and range.
Do you have a good strategy for remembering?
If not, ask someone-else about their strategy.
7 Gabriella and Demi have recorded the temperature in the shade at
midday on every day of their six week school holiday.
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
Week 1 25 °C 20 °C 20 °C 19 °C 20 °C 24 °C 26 °C
Week 2 25 °C 25 °C 28 °C 27 °C 28 °C 31 °C 25 °C
Week 3 28 °C 27 °C 27 °C 27 °C 24 °C 22 °C 20 °C
Week 4 15 °C 19 °C 23 °C 19 °C 16 °C 15 °C 19 °C
Week 5 18 °C 19 °C 20 °C 23 °C 25 °C 28 °C 28 °C
Week 6 32 °C 32 °C 32 °C 27 °C 29 °C 28 °C 30 °C
a Design a table to record the three types of average and the
range for each week of the holiday. Complete your table with
the averages and range.
b Which week had the greatest range of temperatures?
c Use the information in your table to argue which was the
warmest week of the holiday.
d Gabriella and Demi were taking part in a conservation project
on every Tuesday of the holiday. What was the range of
temperatures on Tuesdays? What was the average
(mode, median and mean) temperature on Tuesdays?
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3 Averages
8 The four fictional countries of Fratania, Spanila, Brimland and Gretilli
celebrate a dry weather festival during the months of January
to May. They are each trying to encourage tourists to visit their
own countries. Here are graphs of each country’s rainfall last year
for the five months of the festival.
Fratania Spanila
120 120
Rainfall in mm
Rainfall in mm
110 110
100 100
90 90
80 80
January February March April May January February March April May
Brimland Gretilli
120 120
Rainfall in mm
Rainfall in mm
110 110
100 100
90 90
80 80
January February March April May January February March April May
Which average (mode, median, or mean) would be best for each
country to advertise the lowest possible average rainfall for the season?
Think like a mathematician
Daphne the dog had four litters of puppies. The mean average number
of puppies in a litter was 5. Investigate how many puppies could be
in each litter. Find different ways that make the mean average 5.
What do you notice about the total number of puppies in each solution
where the mean is 5?
Check that it is true for another solution. Explain what you find out.
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