How do you find the range and the mean of a data set?
Range of Set A: 21 Mean of Set A: 11.8 Range of Set B: 5 Mean of Set B: 14.6
Practice makes perfect
We are asked to compare two sets of data by comparing their mean and range. Let's find these quantities for each set of data.
Set A
Let's look at the set of data.
0 12 7 19 21
To find the range of the set we need to find the difference of the greatest value and the least value. We can see that the greatest value in the set is 21, and the least value is 0.
Range: 21 - 0= 21
Therefore, the range is 21. We can see that there are 5 values in the set. To find the mean we will add all of the values and divide the sum by 5. Let's do it!
Mean:0+12+7+19+21/5 = 11.8
Therefore, the mean is 11.8.
Set B
Now let's look at the other set of data.
13 16 15 17 12
To find the range of the set we need to find the difference of the greatest value and the least value. We can see that the greatest value in the set is 17, and the least value is 12.
Range: 17 - 12= 5
Therefore, the range is 5. Let's find the mean!
Mean:13+16+15+17+12/5 = 14.6
Therefore, the mean is 14.6.
Comparing the Sets
Set A has a bigger range but a smaller mean than Set B. This tells us that the values of Set A are more likely to be smaller than those of Set B, but since the values are more spread out in Set A the values can be bigger.
