Module 1

Chapter 4: Measures of Central Tendency

Contents of the Chapter

4.1. Introduction
4.2. Types of Averages
 Mathematical Average
A. Arithmetic Mean
B. Geometric Mean
 Positional Average
A. Median and Quartiles
B. Mode

4.1. Introduction
 Measures of central tendency are fundamental concepts in statistics that help us
understand the central or typical value of a dataset. They provide a way to
summarize and describe a set of data points by identifying a single value that
represents the centre or midpoint of the distribution. These measures are essential
tools for data analysis and interpretation and play a critical role in various fields,
from business and economics to science and social research.
 The three primary measures of central tendency are:
Mean: The mean, often referred to as the average, is the sum of all the data points
divided by the total number of data points. It represents the arithmetic centre of the
data. The formula for calculating the mean is:

The mean is sensitive to outliers, extreme values that can significantly affect its
value.

Median: The median is the middle value in a dataset when the data points are
arranged in ascending or descending order. If there is an even number of data points,
the median is the average of the two middle values. The median is less affected by
outliers compared to the mean, making it a robust measure of central tendency,
particularly in skewed distributions.

Mode: The mode is the value that appears most frequently in a dataset. Unlike the
mean and median, the mode is not necessarily unique; a dataset can have one mode
(unimodal), more than one mode (multimodal), or no mode at all. The mode is
particularly useful for categorical or discrete data.

 Measures of central tendency provide valuable insights into the characteristics of a

dataset. These measures are often used in conjunction with other statistical
techniques to gain a more comprehensive understanding of data distribution and
variability. Additionally, they serve as a basis for making informed decisions,
drawing conclusions, and making predictions in various fields, including research,
finance, quality control, and more.

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 Module 1
Chapter 4: Measures of Central Tendency

4.2. Types of Averages

Mathematical Average
A. Arithmetic Mean:
The arithmetic mean, often simply referred to as the "mean" or "average," is one of the most
common and widely used measures of central tendency in statistics. It is used to find the
typical or central value of a set of data points. The arithmetic mean is calculated by
summing up all the data points and then dividing by the total number of data points. Here's
the formula for calculating the arithmetic mean:

AM for Discrete Data without frequencies

Let be given n data points, then the Arithmetic Mean is given by
∑
̅
AM for Discrete Data with frequencies
Let be given n data points and be the
frequencies of each data value then the Arithmetic Mean is given by
∑
̅
∑

AM for Continuous Data with frequencies

 Continuous data is when frequencies are given corresponding to class intervals
 The formula for the Arithmetic Mean for this case is the same as above, the only
difference is that will be the midpoints of the given lass
interval which needs to be calculated separately
∑
̅
∑

Method of Change of Scale to handle Large Data.

Changing the scale of data is a technique used to handle large datasets or data with very
large or very small values. This process involves transforming the data in a way that makes
it more manageable for analysis or visualization without losing the underlying information.
The Method to calculate Arithmetic Mean using Change of Scale is as follows:
 Let be given n data points or midpoints of the class
interval in case of continuous data and be the frequencies
then a new variable is introduced such that

Where mid value of

Length of the C.I.
 Then ̅ is calculated by
̅
̅ such that ̅ ̅
∑
 And ̅ ∑

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 Module 1
Chapter 4: Measures of Central Tendency

In short, first calculate using equation (i), then calculate ̅ using equation (iii) and finally
calculate ̅ using equation (ii)

Problems

B. Calculate the Mean for the following distribution:

1.
x 12 14 16 18 20 22
f 5 10 15 12 8 3
2.
Size of Shoes 6 7 8 9 10 11
No. of Pairs 32 40 52 40 32 25
3.
Weight in kgs 31 32 33 34 35 36
No.of Children 7 11 15 13 9 4
4.
Digits on a Die 1 2 3 4 5 6
No. of tosses 8 9 8 11 12 12
5.
Age in years 31 45 13 22 66 91
No.of People 7 30 15 23 12 2

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 Module 1
Chapter 4: Measures of Central Tendency

C. Calculate the Mean for the following distribution:

1.
Marks 0-10 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50
No.of Students 6 11 15 8 3

2.

Daily Wages 20-40 40-60 60-80 80-100 100-120 120-140

No. of Workers 7 12 16 13 13 4

3.
Sales in Thousands 5-10 10-15 15-20 20-25 25-30 30-35 35-40
No. of Shops 2 8 12 15 11 5 14
4.
Savings in ₹ 0-4000 4000-8000 8000- 12000- 16000-20000
12000 16000
No. of Employees 8 10 12 6 4
5.
Heights 148-152 152-156 156-160 160-164 164-168 168-172 172-176
In cms.
No. of 3 5 9 15 10 6 2
Persons

B. Median & Quartiles:

Median
 The median is the middle value in a data set when the values are arranged in
ascending or descending order. It divides the data into two equal halves, with half
the values falling below it and half above it.
 Unlike the mean (average), the median is a resistant measure. This means it is less
affected by extreme values or outliers in the data. It represents the central value that
is not skewed by extreme values.
 Medians are often used to compare different data sets, especially when comparing
distributions with different shapes. For example, when comparing the incomes of
two groups, the median income may provide a clearer picture of central tendency
than the mean, as it is less influenced by extreme high or low incomes.

In summary, the median is a robust measure of central tendency that provides valuable
insights into the center of a data set, especially in cases where the distribution is skewed or
contains outliers.

Median for Discrete Data without frequencies:

Let be given n data points, then the Median is calculated as
follows:
 First, arrange the data in ascending or descending order.
 Calculate the number of data points, say it is „N‟.

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 Module 1
Chapter 4: Measures of Central Tendency

 ( ) and
( )

Median for Discrete Data with frequencies:

Let be given n data points and be the
frequencies of each data value then the Median is calculated as follows:
 First calculate the “Less than cumulative frequencies”
 In this case, total observations ∑
 Use the formula ( ) and
( )
 The above formula will help find the class in which the Median value will lie. Refer
to the Less than c.f. column to locate the median class and the value of the given data
set corresponding will be the value of the required Median.

Median for Continuous Data with frequencies

To find the median for continuous data follow the steps below:
 First construct an additional column with “Less than c.f.”
 Calculate total observations ∑
 Using the formula ( ) and
( )
Calculate the Median class. Denote the median class as „m‟
 Use the formula below to find the Median

Where, lower limit of the median class

upper limit of the median class
frequency of the median class
cumulative frequency of the C.I. just above the median class

Problems
A. Calculate the Median for the following data:
1. You are conducting a survey of the ages of students in your class. The ages of eight
students are: 19, 20, 21, 22, 22, 23, 23, and 25. What is the median age of the students in
your class?
2. A teacher records the test scores of 12 students in a math class. The scores are as follows:
85, 92, 88, 76, 90, 85, 78, 89, 91, 84, 82, and 87. Calculate the median test score for the class.
3. In a local library, the number of books checked out by 10 different patrons is: 4, 7, 6, 12,
5, 10, 8, 11, 9, and 3. Find the median number of books checked out by patrons in the
library.
4. A survey is been conducted on the commute times of 15 employees in a company. Their
commute times (in minutes) are as follows: 32, 40, 25, 18, 35, 45, 30, 22, 28, 27, 42, 38, 20,
50, and 33. Determine the median commute time for the employees.

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 Module 1
Chapter 4: Measures of Central Tendency

B. Calculate the Median for the following data:

Heights 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127

in cms
No.of 5 6 8 10 7 5 4 4
students

2.
Age in years 31 45 13 22 66 91
No.of People 7 30 15 23 12 2
For more problems of these type refer to the distribution tables given in B. to find AM

C. Calculate the Median for the following data:

1. Frequency distribution of weights of 85 apples
Wt. in 110- 120- 130- 140- 150- 160- 170- 180-
gms 119 129 139 149 159 169 179 189
Frequency 1 8 12 18 22 9 7 8
2. Monthly sales of a shop
Monthly 100-120 120-140 140-160 160-180 180-200 200-220
Sales in
100 Rs.
No. of 15 35 50 60 30 10
Shops
3. Weight of fish caught on a fishing boat
Wt.in gms 0-25 25-50 50-75 75-100 100-125
No. of fish 5 10 25 11 4
For more problems of these type refer to the distribution tables given in C. to find AM

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 Module 1
Chapter 4: Measures of Central Tendency

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