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Quick Example
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12, 15, 18, 22, 15, 9, 25, 15
Calculation Results
Mean (Average)
Median
Mode(s)
Range
Dataset Summary
Count
Sum
Minimum
Maximum
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Data Visualization
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Understanding Mean, Median, Mode, and Range
What is Mean?
The mean, often called the average, is calculated by adding all numbers in the dataset and then dividing by the count of numbers. It's a common measure of central tendency but can be affected by outliers.
For example, for the dataset [2, 4, 6, 8], the mean is (2 + 4 + 6 + 8) / 4 = 5. The mean is useful for symmetric distributions with no outliers.
What is Median?
The median is the middle value in a sorted list of numbers. If there's an even number of observations, it's the average of the two middle numbers. The median is less affected by outliers than the mean.
For example, for the dataset [3, 1, 4, 2, 5], when sorted [1, 2, 3, 4, 5], the median is 3. For [1, 2, 3, 4], the median is (2 + 3) / 2 = 2.5.
What is Mode?
The mode is the number that appears most frequently in a dataset. A dataset can have no mode, one mode (unimodal), or multiple modes (bimodal, trimodal, etc.).
For example, in [1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 4, 5], the mode is 4 because it appears most often. In [1, 2, 3, 4], there is no mode.
What is Range?
The range is the difference between the highest and lowest values in a dataset. It measures the spread or dispersion of the data.
For example, in [10, 15, 20, 25, 30], the range is 30 - 10 = 20. A larger range indicates greater variability in the data.
When to Use Mean, Median, or Mode
Choosing between mean, median, and mode depends on your data type and distribution:
- Mean: Best for symmetric, continuous data without outliers (e.g., heights, weights)
- Median: Ideal for skewed data or data with outliers (e.g., income, house prices)
- Mode: Most useful for categorical data (e.g., favorite colors, voting preferences)
These statistical measures help summarize data and reveal central tendencies, making it easier to understand large datasets. Whether you're analyzing survey results, financial data, scientific measurements, or educational statistics, understanding these concepts is fundamental to effective data interpretation.
Our calculator simplifies these calculations, providing instant results along with visualizations to help you better understand your data distribution. Simply input your numbers and get comprehensive statistical analysis in seconds.