Subject: Introduction to Statistics

BS Mathematics Morning/Evening program spring semester 2020

Chapter # 03 Measures of Central Tendency

Measure of Central Tendency: Usually when two or more different data sets are
to be compared it is necessary to condense the data, but for comparison the
condensation of data set into a frequency distribution and visual presentation are
not enough. It is then necessary to summarize the data set in a single value. Such a
value usually somewhere in the center and represent the entire data set and hence it
is called measure of central tendency or averages. Since a measure of central
tendency (i.e. an average) indicates the location or the general position of the
distribution on the X-axis therefore it is also known as a measure of location or
position.

Types of Measure of Central Tendency

1. Arithmetic Mean
2. Geometric Mean
3. Harmonic Mean
4. Mode
5. Median

Arithmetic Mean or Simply Mean: “ A value obtained by dividing the sum

of all the observations by the number of observation is called
arithmetic Mean ”

Sum of All observation

Mean =
Number of observation

Numerical Example:
Calculate the arithmetic mean for the following the marks obtained by 9
students are given below:

Using formula of arithmetic mean for ungrouped data:

åx i
xi
x= i =1

n 45
32
n=9 37
46
360 39
x= = 40 marks 36
9 41
48
36
n
Ø Numerical Example: åx
i =1
i = 360

² Calculate the arithmetic mean for the following data given below:

u Using formula of direct method of arithmetic mean for grouped data:

n

åfx i i n
x= i =1
n
, n = å fi
åf i =1
i
i =1

The weight recorded to the nearest grams of 60 apples picked out at random from a
consignment are given below:

106 107 76 82 109 107 115 93 187 95 123 125

111 92 86 70 126 68 130 129 139 119 115 128
100 186 84 99 113 204 111 141 136 123 90 115
98 110 78 185 162 178 140 152 173 146 158 194
148 90 107 181 131 75 184 104 110 80 118 82
 Weight (grams) Frequency
65----84 09
85----104 10
105----124 17
125----144 10
145----164 05
165----184 04
185----204 05
Solution:
Weight (grams) Midpoints ( xi ) Frequency
( fi ) f i xi
65----84 (65 + 84) 2 = 74.5 09 9 ´ 74.5=670.5
85----104 94.5 10 945.0
105----124 114.5 17 1946.5
125----144 134.5 10 1345.0
145----164 154.5 05 772.5
165----184 174.5 04 698.0
185----204 194.5 05 972.5
n n

å
i =1
f i = 60 åfx
i =1
i i = 7350.0

åfx i i
7350.0
x= i =1
n
= = 122.5 grams
60
åf
i =1
i

u Using formula of short cut method of arithmetic mean for grouped data:
n

åfD i i
n = å fi
n

x = A+ i =1 ,
n

åf
i =1
i
i =1

Where Di = X i - A and A is the provisional or assumed mean

Weight (grams) Midpoints ( xi ) Frequency Di = X i - A
( fi ) A = 114.5 f i Di
65----84 (65 + 84) 2 = 74.5 09 -40 -360
85----104 94.5 10 -20 -200
105----124 114.5 17 0 0
125----144 134.5 10 20 200
145----164 154.5 05 40 200
165----184 174.5 04 60 240
185----204 194.5 05 80 400
n n

å f i = 60 å f D =480
i =1
i i
i =1

åfD i i
480
x = A+ i =1
n
= 114.5 + = 122.5 grams
60
åf
i =1
i

u Using formula of step deviation method of arithmetic mean for grouped data:
n

å fu i i
xi - A
x = A+ i =1
n
´ h , ui = , where h is the width of the class interval:
h
åf
i =1
i

Xi - A
Weight (grams) Frequency ui =
Midpoints ( xi ) h f i ui
( fi ) A = 114.5 , h=20
65----84 (65 + 84) 2 = 74.5 09 -2 -18
85----104 94.5 10 -1 -10
105----124 114.5 17 0 0
125----144 134.5 10 1 10
145----164 154.5 05 2 10
165----184 174.5 04 3 12
185----204 194.5 05 4 20
n n

åf
i =1
i = 60 å fu
i =1
i i =24

å fu i i
24
x = A+ i =1
n
´ h = 114.5 + ´ 20 = 114.5 + 08 = 122.5 grams (Answer).
60
åf
i =1
i
Chapter 03 Measures of Central Tendency
 Ø Geometric Mean: “The n root of the product of “n” positive values is called
geometric mean”
Geometric Mean = n product of " n " positive values
The following are the formulae of geometric mean:

v Numerical example of geometric Mean for both grouped and ungrouped

data:
Ø Calculate the geometric mean for the following the marks obtained by 9
students are given below:

xi 45 32 37 46 39 36 41 48 36

² Using formula of geometric mean for ungrouped data:

n=9

xi log xi
æ n ö
45 log 45 =1.65321 ç å log xi ÷
32 1.50515 G.M = anti - log ç i =1 ÷
ç n ÷
37 ç ÷
1.56820 è ø
46 1.66276
æ 14.38700 ö
39 1.59106 G.M = anti - log ç ÷
è 9 ø
36 1.55630 G.M = anti - log 1.59856
41 1.61278
48 G.M = 39.68 (Answer).
1.62124
36 1.55630
n

å log x =14.38700
i =1
i

Ø Given the following frequency distribution of weights of 60 apples, calculate the

geometric mean for grouped data.

Weights 65--84 85--104 105--124 125--144 145--164 165--184 185--204

(grams)
Frequency 09 10 17 10 05 04 05
 æ n ö
ç å fi log xi ÷
G.M = anti - log ç i =1 n ÷
ç ÷
ç å fi ÷
è i =1 ø

Weight (grams) Midpoints ( xi ) Frequency

( fi ) log xi f i log xi æ n
65----84 (65 + 84) 2 = 74.5 09 1.8722 16.8498 ç å f i log xi
G.M = anti - log ç i =1 n
85----104 10 1.9754 19.7540 ç
ç å fi
94.5 è i =1
105----124 17 2.0589 35.0013
æ 124.2483 ö
125----144 114.5 10 2.1287 21.2870 = anti - log ç ÷
è 60 ø
145----164 134.5 05 2.1889 10.9445
165----184 154.5 04 2.2418 8.9672 = anti - log 2.0708

185----204 174.5 05 2.2889 11.4445

G.M = 117.7
194.5 grams
n n (An
åf
i =1
i = 60 å f log x =
i i swer).
i =1

124.2483

u Harmonic Mean: “ The reciprocal of the Arithmetic mean of the

reciprocal of the values is called Harmonic mean”

æ Sum of reciprocal of the values ö

Harmonic Mean = reciprocal of ç ÷
è The number of values ø

The following are formulae of harmonic mean:

v Numerical example of harmonic Mean for both grouped and ungrouped

data:
Ø Calculate the harmonic mean for the following the marks obtained by 9
students are given below:

xi 45 32 37 46 39 36 41 48 36
 ² Using formula of harmonic mean for ungrouped data:

n=9

xi 1 xi n
H .M =
45 0.02222
n
æ1ö
å ç ÷
i =1 è xi ø
32 0.03125
37 0.02702 9
H .M =
46 0.02173 0.22862
39 0.02564
H .M = 39.36663 (Answer).
36 0.02777
41 0.02439
48 0.02083
36 0.02777
n
1
åx
i =1
=0.22862
i

Ø Given the following frequency distribution of weights of 60 apples, calculate the

harmonic mean for grouped data.

Weights 65--84 85--104 105--124 125--144 145--164 165--184 185--204

(grams)
Frequency 09 10 17 10 05 04 05

åf i
H .M = i =1
n
æ fi ö
åç x
i =1 è i ø
÷
 Weight (grams) Midpoints ( xi ) Frequency
( fi ) f i xi
65----84 (65 + 84) 2 = 74.5 09 0.12081
85----104 94.5 10 0.10582
105----124 114.5 17 0.14847
125----144 134.5 10 0.07435
145----164 154.5 05 0.03236
165----184 174.5 04 0.02292
185----204 194.5 05 0.02571
n n
fi
åf
i =1
i = 60 åx =0.53044
i =1 i

åf i
60
H .M = i =1
= = 113.11 grams (Answer).
n
æ fi ö 0.53044
å ç ÷
i =1 è xi ø

v Median: “when the observation are arranged in ascending or descending order,

then a value, that divides a distribution into equal parts, is called median”

Ø Numerical example of median for both grouped and ungrouped data:

Ø Calculate the median for the following the marks obtained by 9 students are
given below:

xi 45 32 37 46 39 36 41 48 36
Arrange the data in
ascending order

32, 36, 36, 37, 39, 41, 45, 46, 48. n = 9 “n” is odd

th
æ n +1ö
Median = Size of ç ÷ observation
è 2 ø
th
æ 9 +1 ö
Median = Size of ç ÷ observation
è 2 ø
Median = Size of 5thobservation
Median = 39 (Answer).

Ø Calculate the median for the following the marks obtained by 10 students
are given below:

xi 45 32 37 46 39 36 41 48 36 50

Arrange the data in ascending order

32, 36, 36, 37, 39, 41, 45, 46, 48, 50. n = 10 “n” is even

ìïæ n ö th æ n ö th üï
Size of íç ÷ + ç + 1 ÷ ı observation
Median = îïè 2 ø è 2 ø şï
2

ìïæ 10 ö th æ 10 öth üï
Size of íç ÷ + ç + 1 ÷ ı observation
Median = îïè 2 ø è 2 ø şï
2

Size of 5th + 6th observation

Median =
2
39 + 41
Median = = 40 (Answer).
2

· The number of values above the median balances (equals) the number of
values below the median i.e. 50% of the data falls above and below the
median.
v Numerical examples: The following distribution relates to the number of
assistants in 50 retail establishments.

No.of 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
assistant
f 3 4 6 7 10 6 5 5 3 1

No. of assistants fi Cumulative frequency ( c. f )

0 3 3
1 4 7
2 6 13
3 7 20
4 10 30
5 6 36
6 5 41
7 5 46
8 3 49
9 1 50
n

åf
i =1
i =50

n
n = å f i = 50 “n” is even
i =1

ìïæ n ö th æ n ö th üï
Size of íç ÷ + ç + 1 ÷ ı observation
ïîè 2 ø è 2 ø ïş
Median =
2
th th
ïìæ 50 ö æ 50 ö ïü
Size of íç ÷ + ç + 1 ÷ ı observation
ïîè 2 ø è 2 ø ïş
Median =
2
 Size of 25th + 26 th observation
Median =
2

4+4
Median = =4 (Answer).
2

v Numerical example: Find the median, for the distribution of examination marks
given below:

Marks 30--39 40--49 50--59 60--69 70--79 80--89 90--99

Number of 08 87 190 304 211 85 20
students

h æn ö n
Median = l + ç -C ÷ here n = å f i
f è2 ø i =1