This deep dive covers Advanced Techniques within Averages for GCSE Mathematics. Revise Averages in Statistics for GCSE Mathematics with 14 exam-style questions and 20 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 6 of 6 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 6 of 6
Practice
14 questions
Recall
20 flashcards
Advanced Techniques
Finding Missing Values Using Averages
If you know the mean and some values, you can find missing values.
Example: Five numbers have a mean of 12. Four of the numbers are 8, 11, 15, and 9. Find the fifth number.
Solution:
Mean = 12, so total of five numbers = 12 × 5 = 60
Sum of known numbers = 8 + 11 + 15 + 9 = 43
Fifth number = 60 - 43 = 17
Comparing Averages
When comparing datasets, consider:
- Which average is most appropriate for the context
- Whether the data contains outliers
- The shape of the data distribution
Real-World Applications
- Mean: Average temperature, average salary (when no extreme outliers)
- Median: House prices, income (when outliers exist)
- Mode: Most popular shoe size, most common grade