6.2 Mean average

You will now learn about:

• finding the mean when given a set of data
• finding the mean from a frequency table

Figure 25 Below average and mean average

The mean is a good method to use when you want to compare a large set of data, for example:

• the average amount spent by customers in a shop
• the average cost of a house in a certain area
• the average time taken for your chosen breakdown service to get to your car.

The mean average can help us make comparisons between sets of data which can then help you when making a decision.