1. What is the Mean?

The mean (or average) is a measure of central tendency that represents the sum of all values divided by the number of values. It's one of the most commonly used statistical measures.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the mean formula:

Where:

• \( \sum x \) — Sum of all values
• \( n \) — Number of values

Explanation: The mean provides a single value that represents the center point of a dataset.

3. Importance of Mean Calculation

Details: The mean is fundamental in statistics and data analysis, used in everything from academic research to business analytics and scientific studies.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter numerical values separated by commas (e.g., "5, 10, 15, 20"). The calculator will ignore any non-numeric values.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between mean and median?
A: The mean is the average, while the median is the middle value when all numbers are arranged in order. The median is less affected by outliers.

Q2: When shouldn't I use the mean?
A: For skewed distributions or when there are extreme outliers, the median might be more representative.

Q3: Can I calculate mean for any data type?
A: No, the mean only makes sense for numerical (quantitative) data, not for categorical data.

Q4: How many decimal places should I report?
A: Typically, report one more decimal place than the original measurements.

Q5: What if my data has missing values?
A: You'll need to decide whether to exclude those cases or impute values before calculating the mean.