Equal sharing idea
The mean can be thought of as sharing the total equally.
| Values | Total |
|---|---|
| 4, 6, 8 | 18 |
18 shared equally between 3 values gives a mean of 6.
Year 6
Calculate and interpret the mean as an average
Find the mean of a set of values and explain what it tells us.
Lesson overview
Statistics
The mean is found by adding all the values and dividing by how many values there are. It represents an equal share of the total.
Mean is one average
The mean does not have to be one of the original values.
3, 5, 10
6
It is a calculated average, not just a middle value.
Worked example
Find the mean of 4, 6 and 8.
- Add the values: 4 + 6 + 8 = 18.
- Count how many values there are: 3.
- Divide 18 by 3.
- The mean is 6.
Try it
Add the values first, then divide by how many values are in the set.
Question 1
What is the mean of 4, 6 and 8?
Question 2
The total of five values is 40. Their mean is:
Question 3
Which statement about the mean is true?
Question 4
The mean of 3, 5 and 10 is:
Question 5
To find the mean, what do you do first?
add values
divide by number of values
Common mistakes
Watch for these when working through the lesson.
- Dividing by the wrong number of values.
- Forgetting to add all the values first.
- Mixing up the mean with the largest or middle value.
Related topics
These ideas fit closely with this lesson.
- Interpret and construct pie charts and line graphs.
- Perform mental calculations and use the order of operations.