Averages

An Average or an arithmetic mean of given data is the sum of the given observations divided by
number of observations.

Average = (Sum of observations / Number of observations)

Important Formulae Related to Average of numbers

1,2,3………50 = 50+1/ 2 = 25.5, 25+26 / 2 = 25.5

5,6,7,8,9 =14/2 = 7

5,6,7,8,9,10 = 15/2 = 7.5

1. Average of first n natural number = n(n+1)/n2 = (n+1)/2

2. Average of first n even number = (n+1)

2,4,6,8 = 4+1 = 5

3. Average of first n odd number = n

1,3,5,7 = 4

4. Average of consecutive number = (First number +Last number)/2

5. Average of squares of first n natural numbers = [(n+1) (2n+1)]/6

6. Average of the cubes of first n natural number = {N(N+1)/2}^2 / N

[n (n+1)^2]/4

For example average of 1,2,3,4, 5 is 3.

Average can be calculated by sum of all numbers divided by the total number of numbers
Average of  1,2,3,4,5= (1+2+3+4+5)/5 = 15/5 = 3
Which is also the middle number of the series , from here we can also say that in an A.P. i.e
arithmetic progression the middle term is the average of the series

Rule 1 : In the Arithmetic Progression there are two cases when the number of terms is odd
and second one is when number of terms is even.
So when the number of terms is odd the average will be the middle term.
And when the number of terms is even then the average will be the average of two middle terms.

Example :  what will be the average of 13, 14, 15, 16, 17?  
Solution: Average is the middle term when the number of terms is odd, but before that let’s
checks whether it is in A.P or not, since the common difference is same so the series is in A.P.
So the middle term is 15 which is our average of the series.
OR
In the first statement of the article we have written that the average of a set of terms is equal to:
Sum of all terms / Number of terms
So the sum of all terms in this case is 75 and the number of terms is 5 so the average is 15.
Now come to the second form when the number of terms are even

Example : What will be the average of 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18?
Solution: when the number of terms are even then the average will be the average of two middle
terms.
Now the two middle terms are 15 and 16, but before that the average we must check that the
series should be A.P. Since the common difference is same for each of the term we can say that
the series is in A.P.
And the average is (16+15)/2 = 15.5

Rule 2 : The average of the series which is in A.P. can be calculated by ½(first + last term) 
Example:  What will be the average of 216, 217 , 218?
Solution: So the answer would be = ½ (216 + 218) = 217
(Which is also the middle term of the series)

Example : What will be the average of first 10 natural numbers?

Solution: The first 10 natural numbers are 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
So the average will be ½ (1 + 10 ) = ½ (11)  = 5.5

Example: Find the average of first 20 natural numbers?

Answer: Sum of first n natural numbers = n ( n + 1 ) /2
So, we can find easily average of first 20 natural numbers 20 x 21 / 2 = 210
So, then Required average is = 210 / 20 = 10.5

Example : Find the average of first 20 multiplies of 5 .

Answer: Required average = 5 ( 1 + 2 + 3 +……………….. + 20) /20
= ( 5 x 20 x 21 / 20 x 2) = 2100 / 40 = 52.5 .
So the Required average is 52.5
5,10,……….100= 5+100/2 = 52.5

Rule : If the value of each item in a group is increase by the same value x, then the average
of the group also increases by x
For example: The average of 5 numbers is18. If 4 is added to each of the number then the
average would be equal to __?

Solution: Old average = 18

90+20 / 5 = 18 +4
New average will be = 4 + old average = 22
This is because each term is increased by 4 so the average would also be increased by 4 so the
new average will be 22

Rule 4 : If the value of each item is multiplied by the same value x, then the average of the
group or items will also get multiplied by x.
For Example: The average of 5 numbers is 18. If 4 is multiplied to each of the number then the
average would be equal to __?  
Solution: Old average = 18
New average will be = 4 x 18= 72

Rule 5: In some cases, if a number is included in the series of numbers then the average will
change and the value of the newly added term will be = Given average + (number of new
terms  x increase in average).
OR
This value will also same as the New average + (number of previous terms  x increase in
average ) .

For example: The average age of 12 students is 40.

If the age of the teacher is also included then the average becomes 44. Then what will be the age
of the teacher?

12*40 + x /13 = 44

40+13*4 = 40+52 = 92
44+12*4 = 92

Average given = 40
Number of students = 12
Therefore the age of the teacher = 40 + (12 + 1) x 4 = 40 + 52 = 92
And this is also calculated as 44 + (12 x 4)= 92
Therefore the average age of the teacher is 92 yrs
OR
The average of 12 = 40 that means the total number of units are 12 x 40 = 480
Now the new average is 44 and the number of terms are 13 so therefore the total number of units
are = 44 x 13 = 572
So the included units would be equal to 572 – 480 = 92
Rule 6 : In some cases  a number is excluded and one more number is added in the series of the
number then the average will change by q and the value of the newly added term will be =
Replaced Term + (increased in average x number of terms ).

For example: Average age of 6 persons is increased by 2 yrs when one of them, whose age is
26 yr is replaced by a new man. What is the age of new person?

6*2 = 12+26 = 38

Sol. 6x, (x+2)6 = 12+ 6x

Total age increased = 6 × 2 = 12 yr

Age of new person = (26 + 12) = 38 yr
The increase in the total age of 6 persons is due to the replacement of a person aged 26 yr with a
person who is 12 yr older to him.

Rule 7:

For example: The average of 20 numbers is 12 .The averages of the first 12 is 11 and the
average of next 7 numbers is 10. The last number will be?

Solution: Total Sum – Sum1 – Sum 2

20*12 – 12*11 – 7*10 = 240 – 132 – 70 = 38

A-B

15kmph, 20 kmph
= X= 2X/ X/15 + X/20 = 2*15*20 / 35

To Find the Average Speed

Average speed is defined as total distance travelled divided by total time taken. 

Average speed = Total distance travelled / Total time taken

 If a person covers A km at x km/hr and B km at y km/hr and C km at z km/hr, then

the average speed in covering the whole distance is- 
 If a person travels a distance at a speed of x km/hr and the same distance at a
speed of y km/hr then the average speed during the whole journey is given by-

= 2A/ A/X + A/Y = 2A / A(1/X + 1/Y)

  (2xy / x+y) kmph

Questions

1. The Average of 10 Quantities is 12. The Average of 6 of them is 8. What is the

Average of remaining 4?

2. The average of four consecutive odd numbers is 24. Find the largest number.

3. The average of first 10 even numbers is?

4. The average age of 8 men increases by 2 years when two women are included in place
of two men of ages 20 and 24 years. Find the average age of the women?
8*x
8(x+2) = 8x+16

20+24+16= 60/2 = 30

5. A team of 8 entered for a shooting competition. The best marks a man scored 85
points. If he had scored 92 points, the average scores for the team would have been 84.
How many points altogether did the team scored?

6. The average age of a husband and a wife was 23 years when they were married (five
years ago) but now the average age of the husband, wife and child is 20 years (the
child was born during the interval). What is the present age of the child?

7. In a Class of 20 Boys, their average age decreases by 2 months when one boy aged
18yrs is replaced by a new boy. Find the age of a new boy? (AMCAT)

8. In a hostel there were 100 students. 20 more students joined & the average cost of food
is decreased by rupees 5. But total collection increased by Rs.400. Find the total
collection of the hostel now?
9. 9 men went to a hotel. Eight of them spent Rs.3 each over their meals and the ninth
spent Rs.2 more than the average expenditure of all the nine. Determine the total
money spent by them?

2/8 = .25
3+.25 = 3.25

Avg Exp cost is x

9x = 8*3 + x+2
x=3.25

3.25*9= 29.25
24+3.25+2 = 29.25

10. Three years ago the average age of a family of 6 members was 19 years. A boy have
been born, the average age of the family is the same today. What is the age of the boy?

11. A batsman in his 17th Inning makes a score of 85, thereby increasing his average by 3.
What is his average after 17 Innings?

12. A car owner buys petrol at 75, 80 & 85 Rs/L for 3 successive years. What Approx is
Average cost/L if he spends Rs 4000 each year?

13. The average height of 35 boys in a class was calculated as 180cm. It has later found
that the height of one of the boys in the class was wrongly written as 166 cm whereas
his actual height was 106 cm. Find the actual average height of the boys in the class
(Round off your answer to two decimal places) (AMCAT)

14. The present average age of a family of 5 members is 26 years. If the present age of the
youngest member in the family is 10 years, then what was the average age of the
family at the time of the birth of the youngest member? (Assume no death occurred in
the family since the birth of the youngest)
15. Out of 9 persons, 8 persons spent Rs. 30 each for their meals. The ninth one spent Rs.
20 more than the average expenditure of all the nine. The total money spent by all of
them was :
20/8 = 2.5
30+2.5 = 32.5
Or
9x = 240+ x+20
X= 32.5
32.5*9 (AMCAT)
292.50, 292, 265, 235

16. The average of x, y and z is 45. x is as much more than the average as y is less than the
average. Find the value of z.
60,45,30,40 (AMCAT)

17. The average of 5 consecutive numbers is n. What will be the average if the next two
numbers are included?
A. n+2 B. n-1 C. n-2 D. n+1

18. The average weight of 39 children travelling to Ladakh is 30. If an obese man with
weight 130 kg join them. What will be the average weight of the people travelling to
Ladakh?

19. The average of four positive integers is 69. The highest integer is 93 and the least
integer is 39. The difference between the remaining two integers is 28. Which integers
is the higher of the remaining two integers?

20. The average of 7 consecutive numbers is 20. The largest of these numbers is?

21. The Average Monthly Income of P & Q is 5050, that of Q & R is 6250, that of P & R
is 5200. Find the monthly income of P? (AMCAT)
Solutions

1. 10*12 – 6*8 / 10 - 6 = 120-48 / 4 = 18

2. Let the numbers are x, x+2, x+4, x+6 then

x+(x+2)+(x+4)+(x+6) / 4=24

OR

x+2+x+4 / 2 = 24

x= 21, x+6 = 27

OR

x+x+6 /2 = 24

3. 10+1 = 11
OR
2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20
10+12 / 2 = 11

4. Sum of Women’s Age= 20 + 24 + 8 * 2 = 60

60/2 = 30

5. 8 * 84 = 672 – 7 = 665

6. 23+5 = 28
28 * 2 = 56 (Sum of H & W age at present)

20 * 3 = 60 ( Sum of Ages of all 3 at present)

Child Age = 60-56 = 4yrs

7. 18*12 = 216 months

216 m – 40m = 176 m = 14y 8m

Or
 18y-3y 4m = 14y 8m

8. 100x + 400 = 120(x – 5)

x = 1000/20 = 50

45*120 = 5400
or
100 * 50 + 400 = 5400

9. Average of 9 = x

9x = 8 * 3 + x + 2 = 3.25

Total = 9 * 3.25 = 29.25

10. 6 * 22 = 132

7 * 19 = 133

Boy’s Age = 133-132 = 1

11. Let his average in 16 Innings be x

Avg = Sum / Total no. of observations
16*x + 85 = 17 (x+3)
x= 34
x+3 = 37

12. 79.79/L

Quantity = 4000/75 + 4000/80 + 4000/85

= 800 (5/75 + 5/80 + 5/85)
= 800 (1/15 +1/16+ 1/17)
= 800 ( 272+255+240)/ 4080
= 800*767/4080
Avg Cost = 12000* 4080 / 800*767 = 79.79

13. 180 cm - 60 /35 cm

180 cm - 1.71 cm = 178.29 cm

14. Present total age of the members = 26(5) = 130 years.

 Present age of the youngest member = 10 years
Present total age of the remaining four members = 130 -10 = 120 years
Their average age at the time of the birth of the youngest member = [120 - (4 * 10)] / 4 =
80 / 4 = 20 years.

OR

130-50= 80/4 = 20

15. 292.50
Let 9th person spend x Rs
x= (240+x) / 9 + 20
x = 420/ 8 = 52.5
Total Exp = 52.5 + 240 = 292.5

16. 45

Sum of x, y and z will be 135. As the average is 45

Also given that ,
X-45= 45-Y, X+Y= 90,
therefore,
X+Y+Z = 135
90+Z=135;
Z=45

17. The average of 5 consecutive terms is n, implies that the 3rd term is n. Now as the next 2
terms are included implies that the new average for 7 terms would be the 4th term. So,
the 4th term would be n+1.
n-2, n-1, n, n+1, n+2, n+3, n+4

18. If the weight of the man would have been 30, then the average weight would have been
the same.
So, the extra 100 kg that the obese man brings with him would be distributed equally
amongst all of them, i.e. 100/40 = 2.5
So, the average becomes 30 + 2.5 = 32.5

39*30+130/40 = 32.5

19. 86
Let the four integers be A, B, C and D where A > B > C > D.

(A + B + C + D)/4 = 69 => A + B + C + D = 276 ---> (1)

 A = 93, D = 39 and B - C = 28
(1) => B + C = 276 - (A + D) = 276 - 132 = 144.
B + B -28 = 144
B = (144 + 28)/2 = 86

20. 23
x-3, x-2,x-1,x, x+1, x+2, x+3
x=20

21. 4000
P+Q = 2*5050
Q+R = 2*6250
P+R = 2*5200

2(P+Q+R) = 2*16500
P+Q+R = 16500
-( Q+R) = 12500
P = 4000