Student resources
Grades 5-8
Mean, Median, Mode, and Range Guide
Mean, median, mode, and range summarize a list of numbers. They are common in data, charts, grades, sports, science labs, and surveys.
Key ideas
- Mean is the average: add the numbers, then divide by how many numbers there are.
- Median is the middle value after the numbers are ordered.
- Mode is the value that appears most often.
- Range is the largest value minus the smallest value.
Data Summary Formulas
| Measure | How to find it | Example for 2, 4, 4, 8, 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Mean | add values / count | (2 + 4 + 4 + 8 + 12) / 5 = 6 |
| Median | middle ordered value | 4 |
| Mode | most common value | 4 |
| Range | largest - smallest | 12 - 2 = 10 |
Practice questions
Find the mean of 3, 5, and 10.
Calculation: (3 + 5 + 10) / 3 = 18 / 3 = 6
Answer: 6
Find the median of 7, 2, 9, 4, 5.
Calculation: Order them: 2, 4, 5, 7, 9. The middle is 5
Answer: 5
Find the mode of 1, 3, 3, 4, 6.
Calculation: 3 appears most often
Answer: 3
Find the range of 12, 8, 20, 15.
Calculation: 20 - 8 = 12
Answer: 12