Chapter Notes: Statistics

Measurement of Central Tendency

A measure of central tendency denotes a value that represents a statistical series, typically a
single or representative value. This value is chosen as it is the one to which the majority of
observations are closest.

Arithmetic Mean
The Arithmetic Mean, denoted by X, is calculated by adding up all the values in a series and
dividing the sum by the total number of items in the series. This calculation can be
represented by the following formula.

Objectives of Average
To present a brief picture of data: The use of an average allows for a concise
representation of data, making it simpler to comprehend and recall.
To make comparisons easier: Averages are useful for facilitating comparisons between
data sets, as they condense the information into a single value.
To help in decision-making: The majority of research and planning decisions are founded
on the average value of specific variables.
To help in formulation of policies: Averages play a significant role in policy formulation,
such as the consideration of per capita income by the Indian government in its efforts to
alleviate poverty.

Merits and Demerits of Arithmetic Mean

(i) The following are some of the merits of using arithmetic mean:
Easy to compute: Its calculation is straightforward, requiring only basic mathematical
operations such as addition, multiplication, and division.
Simple to understand: The concept of arithmetic mean is easy to grasp, as it represents
the value per unit or cost per unit. Based on all items: It takes into account all values within
the data set, providing a more comprehensive representation of the distribution.
Rigidly defined: The value of arithmetic mean is always definite, as it is rigidly defined.
Good basis of comparison: Arithmetic mean serves as a reliable basis for comparing two or
more groups of data.
Algebraic treatment: It is capable of undergoing further algebraic manipulation, making it
a commonly used tool in advanced statistical analyses.

(ii) The following are some of the demerits of arithmetic mean:

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 Complete data is required: The arithmetic mean requires the availability of all items in a
series for computation.
Affected by extreme values: Extreme values can have a significant impact on the
calculation of the arithmetic mean, as it is based on all items in the series.
Absurd results: There may be instances where the arithmetic mean yields illogical or
absurd results, such as when the mean of the number of students in a class is reported as
a decimal value.
Calculation of mean by observation is not possible: Unlike median or mode, the
arithmetic mean cannot be determined through simple observation of the series.
No graphic representation: The arithmetic mean cannot be visually represented on a
graph.
Not possible in case of an open-ended frequency distribution: It is not feasible to
calculate the arithmetic mean for an open-ended frequency distribution without making
an assumption regarding the class size.
Not possible in case of qualitative characteristics: The computation of arithmetic mean
is not applicable to qualitative data, such as information related to intelligence, honesty,
smoking habits, etc.

Types of Arithmetic Mean

Simple arithmetic mean

Weighted arithmetic mean

Methods of Calculating Simple Arithmetic Mean

(i) Individual Series: For individual series, the Arithmetic Mean can be

computed using two methods: Direct Method: This approach

entails calculating the Arithmetic Mean using the formula:

Short-cut Method: An alternative method involves using the following formula:

In this formula, represents the Arithmetic Mean, "A" represents the assumed average of
"Ed," which is the net sum of the deviations of the various values from the assumed
average, and "N" refers to the number of items in the series.

(ii) Discrete Series: There are three methods of calculating mean of the discrete series
Direct Method: Direct method of estimating mean of the discrete frequency series uses the

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 formula

Short-cut Method: Short cut method of estimating mean of the discrete frequency series
uses the following formula
Step-deviation Method: This method is a variant of short-cut method. It is adopted when
deviations from the assumed mean have some common factor

(iii) Frequency Distribution: There are three methods of calculating mean in frequency
distribution Direct Method: Direct method of estimating mean of the discrete frequency
series uses the formula

m = mid-value, mid-value = L1 = lower limit of the class

L2 = upper limit of the class
Short-cut Method: Short cut method of estimating mean of the frequency distribution uses

the formula
Step Deviation Method: According to this method, we find the Arithmetic Mean by the
following formula

Weighted Arithmetic Mean: It is the mean of weighted items of the series. Different items
are accorded different weights depending on their relative importance. The weighted sum
of the items is divided by the sum of the weights.

Calculation of Weighted Mean

According to this way, we find weighted mean from the following information

(i) Merits

• Simplicity Certainty
• Based on all items Algebraic treatment Stability
• Basis of comparison Accuracy test

(ii) Demerits
• Effect of extreme value
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 • Mean value may not figure in the series at all Laughable conclusions
• Unsuitability Misleading conclusions

Median
The Median is defined as the value of the variable that separates the group into two equal
parts. Specifically, one part encompasses all values greater than the Median, while the other
part consists of all values smaller than the Median. Calculation of Median

Individual Series: Calculation of Median in individual series involves the following formula
M = Size of item
When N of the series is an even number, Median is estimated using the following formula

Discrete Series: Calculation of Median in case of discrete series or frequency

array involves the following formula M = Size of item
Frequency Distribution Series: The following formula is applied to determine the Median

Value

Merits of median
The Median is simple to comprehend and calculate.
It is less likely to be influenced by extreme observations. The Median can be determined
graphically using ogives.
In the case of open-ended classes, the Median is the most suitable average.
For qualitative measurements such as intelligence or beauty, the Median is
the most appropriate average. The Median is a positional value, not a
computed value.

Demerits of Median
As a positional average, the Median does not rely on all observations in the series.
Arranging the data is necessary to determine the Median, unlike other averages. The
Median cannot be precisely calculated if the series has an even number of items.

Quartiles
A quartile is defined as one of the three points that divide a statistical series into four equal
parts, with each part representing a quarter of the whole data set.
Calculation of Quartiles Quartile values (Q1 and Q3) are estimated differently for different sets
of series,
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(i) Individual and Discrete Series

(ii) Frequency Distribution Series In frequency distribution series, the class interval of Q1 and Q3
are first identified as under

or

Percentiles
Percentiles divide the series into 100 equal parts, and is generally expressed as P.
Percentiles are estimated for different types of series as under
(i) Individual and Discrete Series

(ii) Frequency Distribution Series

Mode
The mode of a series is the value that appears most frequently in the series, and its
corresponding frequency is the highest among all values in the series.
Merits of mode:
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 • Mode is a popular and simple measure of central tendency. It can be graphically located using a
histogram.
• It is less affected by marginal values.
• All the items of a series are not required to be known for computing mode. It is the most
representative value in a series.
• It is less affected by extreme values.

Demerits of mode:
• It is an uncertain measure.
• It is not capable of algebraic treatment. Procedure of grouping is complex.
• It is not based on all observations.
• For bi- modal and tri-modal series, it is difficult to calculate. Its value is not
based on each and every item of the series.

Question 1
Following are the marks obtained by eight students in statistics. Calculate the
arithmetic mean.

Marks 15 18 16 45 32 40 30 28

Solution.

Marks (X)

15
18
16
45
32
40
30
28

X= 224

X¯= ∑X/N
=X1+X2+…+Xn
=224/8=28
Average marks of the eight students = 28
Question 2
A train runs for 25 miles at a speed of 30 mph, another for 50 miles at a speed of 40
mph. Due to repairs of the track, the trains runs for 6 minutes at a speed of 10 mph
and finally covers the remaining distance of 24 miles at a speed of 24 mph. What is
the average speed in miles per hour?
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Solution.
Time taken in covering 25 miles as at speed of 30 mph = 50 minutes
( ∵ Time = DistanceSpeed )
Time taken in covering 50 miles at a speed of 40 mph = 75 minutes
Distance covered in 6 minutes at a speed of 10 mph = 1 mile
Time taken in covering 24 miles at speed of 24 mph = 60 minutes
Therefore, taking the time taken as weights we have the weighted mean as:

Speed in mph (X) Time taken (W) WX

30 50 1,500
40 75 3,000
10 6 60
24 60 1,440

∑W= 191 ∑WX= 6,000

Weighted Mean,
X¯w=∑WX/∑W
=6,000/191
=31.41
Average Speed= 31.41 mph.
Question 3
In a class of 50 students, 10 have failed and their average of marks is 2.5. The total
marks secured by the entire class were 281. Find the average marks of those who
have passed.
Solution.
Given N = 50, failed students = 10
Mean marks of those who failed = 2.5
Total marks of 10 students who have failed = 2.5 x 10 = 2.5
Total marks secured by the entire class = 281
Total marks obtained by those who have passed = 281 – 25 = 256
Average marks obtained by those who have passed =
256/40
= 6.4
Average marks obtained by those who have passed = 6.4
Question 4
Calculate the mean marks from the following data.

Marks 20-25 25-30 30-35 35-40 40-45 45-50 50-55

Number of students 10 12 8 20 11 4 5

Solution

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 Marks Mid- Number of students or Deviation Multiple of Deviation and
(X) value frequency (f) (d=m- Frequency (fd)
m= A)
l1+l22 (A=37.5)

20-25 22.5 10 -15 -150

25-30 27.5 12 -10 -120
30-35 32.5 8 -5 -40
35-40 37.5 20 0 0
40-45 42.5 11 5 55
45-50 47.5 4 10 40
50-55 52.5 5 15 75

∑f=70 ∑fd=140

= X¯=∑fd/∑f
=37.5+(−140/70)
= 37.5 – 2 = 35.5
Question 5
Calculate the weighted mean from the following data

Marks 60 75 63 59 55

Weight 2 1 5 5 3

Solution

Marks (X) Weight (W) WX

60 2 120
75 1 75
63 5 315
59 5 295
55 3 165

∑W=16 ∑WX=970

X¯w=∑WX∑W
=
97016

= 60.625

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 Median
Q.1. find median from the following data

Ans. Arranging data in ascending order:

Q.2.In a football game, 10 players scored the following number of goals: 4, 1, 2,

6, 10, 8, 11, 3, 9, 7.

Find the median of the data.

Solution:

Data provided: 4, 1, 2, 6, 10, 8, 11, 3, 9, 7.

Now sort the information into the following ascending order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.

There are 10 observations in this case, which is an even number.

Use formula : (given above)

Median = Size of 5.5th term

To find the median, add the 5th and

6th items together and then
divide the sum by 2.

Median = 6.5

Example 2:

Calculate the median of 9, 17, 13, 30,

18, 25, and 20. Find the new
median if the number 13 is
replaced with the number
31.
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Solution:

Arrange the given data in ascending

order, 9, 13, 17, 18, 20, 25,
30.

There are 7 observations, which is an

odd number.

Median = Size of 4th observation

Median = 18

When 13 is replaced by 31, the following

data is obtained when
arranged in ascending order:
9, 17, 18, 20, 25, 30, 31.

Now,

Median = Size of 4th observation

Median = 20

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