juniorStatistics
What is mean in statistics?
Updated May 17, 2026
Short answer
Mean is the arithmetic average of all values in a dataset.
Deep explanation
Mean is calculated by summing all observations and dividing by the number of observations. It represents central tendency but is sensitive to outliers.
Real-world example
Average marks of students in a class.
Common mistakes
- Ignoring the effect of extreme values on mean.
Follow-up questions
- Why is mean sensitive to outliers?
- When should mean not be used?