Types of Averages and Range

When you've got a list of numbers, there are four brilliant ways to describe them. Each one tells you something different about your data, and you'll definitely need these for your maths exams!

The median is simply the middle value when you arrange your numbers in order. Take 3, 3, 6, 13, 100 - the median is 6 because it sits right in the middle. If you have an even number of values, just find the halfway point between the two middle numbers.

The mean is what most people call the "average" - add up all your numbers and divide by how many you have. Using our example: 6 + 3 + 100 + 3 + 13 = 125, then 125 ÷ 5 = 25. Don't worry if your answer isn't a whole number - that's perfectly normal!

The mode is the number that appears most often in your list. Looking at 3, 3, 6, 13, 100, the mode is 3 because it shows up twice whilst the others appear only once.

Finally, the range shows how spread out your numbers are. Just subtract the smallest from the largest: 100 - 3 = 97. A bigger range means your numbers are more spread out.

Quick Tip: Remember "Middle, Mean, Most, and Minus" to recall median, mean, mode, and range!