Virginia SOL Math / Grade 5 / Probability & Statistics

5.PS.2

Measures of Center and Range

What you'll learn

  • Find the mean, median, mode, and range of a data set
  • Choose an appropriate measure to describe data
  • Interpret measures of center in context

Words to know

Mean —
the sum of the values divided by how many there are
Median —
the middle value when data is in order
Mode —
the value that appears most often
Range —
the difference between the greatest and least value
Data set —
the group of numbers being studied

Why it matters Measures of center summarize a whole data set in one number, helping us describe typical values and how spread out data is.

Worked examples

Model ItI do

Find the mean of 4, 6, and 8.

Add the values: 4 + 6 + 8 = 18. Then divide by how many there are: 18 divided by 3 = 6, so the mean is 6.

Try It TogetherWe do

Find the median and range of 3, 7, 9, 5, 7.

Put the numbers in order: 3, 5, 7, 7, 9. The middle value is 7, so the median is 7. The range is 9 - 3 = 6.

Now YouYou do

Find the mode of 2, 5, 5, 8, 9.

Look for the value that appears most often in the set. Check your answer in the back of this chapter.

Practice

Mastered 0 of 11

Warm-up

Ease in with the basics.

  1. 1.Find the mean of 6 and 10.

  2. 2.Find the mode of 3, 3, 5, 7.

  3. 3.Find the range of 2, 8, 5.

On Level

The core Quick Check from the book.

  1. 1.Find the mean of 10, 20, and 30.

  2. 2.Find the median of 1, 3, 5, 7, 9.

  3. 3.Find the mode of 4, 4, 6, 8.

  4. 4.Find the range of 12, 5, 9, 20.

  5. 5.Find the mean of 2, 4, 4, 6.

Challenge

Stretch your thinking.

  1. 1.Find the mean of 12, 15, 18, 11, and 14.

  2. 2.Find the median of 8, 3, 12, 7, 9, and 5.

  3. 3.A data set is 4, 6, 6, 8, 11. Find the mean, median, mode, and range.