The Balancing Act — Mean as Centre
📌 What is Mean?
📌 What is Median?
The middle value when data is sorted in order. Equal number of values on both sides.
🎯 Mean as the Balance Point
The mean is not always the midpoint of the two extreme values. Instead, it is the point where total distances on the left = total distances on the right.
There is only one such centre — the mean is unique.
How the Mean Shifts — Rules & Algebra
➕ Add value > mean
Mean increases
➕ Add value < mean
Mean decreases
➖ Remove value < mean
Mean increases
➖ Remove value > mean
Mean decreases
Adding or removing a value equal to the mean keeps the mean unchanged.
🔢 Rule 1 — Adding a Constant to Every Value
If every value increases by a fixed number \(k\), the mean also increases by \(k\).
✖️ Rule 2 — Multiplying Every Value by a Constant
If every value is multiplied by a fixed number \(k\), the mean also gets multiplied by \(k\).
Data: 8, 3, 10, 13, 4, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 5
After adding 10 to every value:
Same data, every value ×2:
The mean doubles — the dot plot stretches out on the number line.
Tinkering with Median
📌 What is Median?
The middle value in sorted data — equal number of values on both sides. For even number of values, it is the average of the two middle values.
➕ Add value > median
Median may increase
➕ Add value < median
Median may decrease
Key difference: Unlike the mean, the median is not affected by how far away an extreme value is — only by its position.
Finding the Unknown Value
🔑 The Technique
When one value is missing but the mean is known, use the mean formula to find it:
10 players, weights: 42, 40, 39, 33, 48, 38, 42, 35, 32, w
Mean = 39.2
15 trees, average harvest = 25.6 per tree.
One tree's count recorded 3 more than actual.
Mean and Median with Frequencies
📌 Mean with a Frequency Table
Don't just add the distinct values! Multiply each value by its frequency, then divide by total frequency.
| Family Size | Frequency | Value × Freq |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 9 |
| 4 | 11 | 44 |
| 5 | 9 | 45 |
| 6 | 7 | 42 |
| 7 | 3 | 21 |
| 8,9,10 | 1 each | 27 |
| Total | 36 | 188 |
📌 Median with a Frequency Table
For 36 values → median = average of 18th and 19th value when sorted. Use cumulative frequencies:
- 1Frequency of 3 = 3 → positions 1–3 are value 3
- 2Freq of 3 + freq of 4 = 14 → positions 4–14 are value 4
- 3Freq of 3+4+5 = 23 → positions 15–23 are value 5
- ✓18th and 19th values are both 5 → Median = 5
Common mistake: Adding just the distinct values (3+4+5…+10)/8 = 6.5 is wrong — it ignores frequency. Always multiply value × frequency!
Visualising Data — Line Graphs
📌 What is a Line Graph?
Data points connected by line segments. Best used to show change over time — trends, rises, falls, patterns.
✅ Use Line Graph When
Showing change over time, comparing trends, many data points that would make a bar graph crowded
❌ Bar Graph Problem
13 years × 4 countries = 52 bars — too crowded! Line graph shows the same trends clearly.
🔍 Two-Step Process to Read a Graph
- 1Identify what is given: What is on each axis? What scale? What are the units? What patterns do you notice?
- 2Infer and interpret: What conclusions can you draw? What trends exist? What questions does the data raise?
Rises Jan → Jun (peak ~38°C), drops Jul–Dec (low ~19°C Jan). Wide variation between summer and winter.
Stays mostly flat: 29–33°C all year. Peak ~33°C in April, low ~29°C in July. Very stable climate.
📊 Spreadsheets — Quick Calculations
A spreadsheet is a digital notebook with rows and columns of cells. Cells are named by column letter + row number (e.g., E5).
| Formula | What it does |
|---|---|
=SUM(B3:G3) | Total marks for student in row 3 across columns B to G |
=AVERAGE(B2:B24) | Average of all values in column B, rows 2 to 24 |