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You shouldn't use the mean in a data set when there's an outlier in the data set. If an outlier is present it will drag the mean either up or down, making the average seem higher or lower than it really is, therefore making it unreliable. HOWEVER:
If you WANT to make the average of the data appear higher or lower (like if you're trying to convince your parents/boss to give you a raise in allowance/salary, and you show them the average income of your peers compared to your average income, you would want your income to appear much less compared to the others), then you should use the mean with as many outliers as possible in order to drag the average up or down.

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Would you use mean mode median to average the points?

mean is the average of numbers in the data set mode is the most frequently occurring value in a data set and median is the middle number of the data set so you would use mean


Can you use the mean to answer a statistical question explain?

You can use the mean to answer some statistical questions: it is a measure of the central tendency of a set of data. However, it is no good in identifying the maximum value of a set of data, for example.


What is one formula statisticians use?

Some formulas statisticians may use are population mean, sample mean, variance, and standard deviation. They may also use linear regression line and standard error equations. Another can be the mean value of a data set, where one adds all data points given in a set and divides this number by the number of data points in the set.


Should you use the median or mean to describe a data set if the data are not skewed?

If the data set is not skewed, either the median or the mean can be used to describe it, as they will likely provide similar values. However, the mean is often preferred for its mathematical properties and ease of interpretation, especially in normally distributed data. The median can still be useful if you want to highlight the middle value without the influence of outliers. Ultimately, the choice may depend on the context and specific characteristics of the data.


How can you use the distance between data value and the mean of a data set to measure the spread of a data set?

The distance between each data value and the mean of a data set can be used to measure the spread by calculating the deviations from the mean. These deviations indicate how far each data point is from the average, providing insight into the variability within the data set. By averaging the absolute values of these distances or squaring them (as in variance), one can quantify the spread, with larger distances indicating greater variability. This approach helps to understand the consistency or dispersion of the data relative to its central tendency.

Related Questions

When is it misleading to use the mean as a descriptor of a data set?

It is misleading to use the mean as a descriptor of a data set when the median or mode would be more representative of the data set as a whole.


Would you use mean mode median to average the points?

mean is the average of numbers in the data set mode is the most frequently occurring value in a data set and median is the middle number of the data set so you would use mean


Can you use the mean to answer a statistical question explain?

You can use the mean to answer some statistical questions: it is a measure of the central tendency of a set of data. However, it is no good in identifying the maximum value of a set of data, for example.


What is one formula statisticians use?

Some formulas statisticians may use are population mean, sample mean, variance, and standard deviation. They may also use linear regression line and standard error equations. Another can be the mean value of a data set, where one adds all data points given in a set and divides this number by the number of data points in the set.


How do you do trimmed mean on Microsoft Excel?

You use the TRIMMEAN function. It calculates the mean taken by leaving out a percentage of data points from the top and bottom of your set of data. You can use this function when you wish to exclude outlying data from your analysis.


When might you want to use the median to describe the center of a data set instead of then mean?

You would use the median if the data were very skewed, with extreme values.


Explain how you find the mean of a set of data?

To answer this question I will use an example. Data set: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50. First find the sum of all the numbers...so 10+20+30+40+50= 150. Then you take the sum (150) and divide it by the number of numbers in the data set. So 150 divided by 5 (the number of numbers in this data set) = 30. 30= the mean of the above data set. Finding the mean is pretty simple. :)


When calculating the mean the researcher should use data measured at which level?

interval


What is the convenient scale and interval to use for graphing each set of data set?

What is the convenient scale and interval to use for graphing each set of data set?


Does the empirical rule work for any data set?

No.The empirical rule is a good estimate of the spread of the data given the mean and standard deviation of a data set that follows the normal distribution.If you you have a data set with 10 values, perhaps all 10 the same, you clearly cannot use the empirical rule.


Should unlimited data mean you can connect to Internet anywhere?

No.. It means that when you DO connect, there is no restriction on your use. You are confusing unlimited data and universal connectivity.


What are the advantages of arithmetic mean?

It is easy to use in further analysis calculation can be done easily using arithmetic mean is unique value for each data set