What is the arithmetic mean?
In GCSE maths, the definition of the arithmetic mean is the average of several values found by summing them, and then dividing by the number of values. For example, the arithmetic mean of 1, 3, 5, 7 would be (1+3+5+7) ÷ 4 = 4
In GCSE maths courses, the arithmetic mean is usually just referred to as “the mean”. This is because it is the only type of mean taught in GCSE maths courses. An alternative type of mean is the “geometric mean” but this is not part of the specification for GCSE maths courses.
The arithmetic mean is one of the most frequently used statistical measures. Other common measures include the median and the mode. Each of these has advantages and disadvantages depending on when they are used. A downside of the arithmetic mean is that it is affected by extreme values. For example, the arithmetic mean of 2, 3, 5, 10, 500 would be (2+3+5+10+500) ÷ 5 = 104. This is not a very representative figure for the data set. This is why data about salaries, for example, usually uses the median instead. The median looks at the middle value of the data set instead (the median of the previous example would be 5).
Arithmetic mean revision resources to ace your exams
Learn more about arithmetic mean, and other types of average with our revision notes. To test your knowledge, try our exam questions for statistics.
For quick-fire GCSE maths revision use our collection of interactive flashcards for GCSE maths, and we have past papers too for your exam practice.
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