The arithmetic mean is a fancy name for the average. The formula for finding the arithmetic mean is the sum of the data points divided by the number of data points. Finding the arithmetic mean helps you determine the typical performance. For example, the arithmetic mean of a team's points per game would give you an idea of what a normal scoring night looks like for the team, or the average test grade would give you an idea of how the average student did.
Instructions
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1
Sum the numbers in the data set. For example, if a team scored 78, 88, 56, 90 and 69 points, the sum would be 381.
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2
Count the number of items in the data set. In this example, there are scores from five games.
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3
Divide the sum of the numbers by the number of items to find the arithmetic mean. Finishing the example, divide 381 by 5 to find the arithmetic mean equals 76.2 points per game.