When to use "average" vs "median"?
Hello! This is quite a complex question, but I will do my best to answer it.
Let's start with how each term is used.
The average (mean) is calculated by adding up all of the individual values and dividing this total by the number of values.
The median is the middle number in a sorted list of numbers (either ascending or descending) used in statistical studies. To determine the median value in a sequence of numbers, the numbers must first be sorted or arranged in value order from lowest to highest or highest to lowest.
For instance, let's say a data set consists of the numbers 3, 5, 7, and 19. To figure out the average (mean) you must:
1. Add the numbers together: 3 + 5 + 7 + 19 = 34
2. Divide the sum by the number of values: 34 ÷ 4 = 8.5
In this example, the average (mean) is 8.5. The median, on the other hand, would be 6. That's because there's an even number of values, the middle two of which we add together and divide by 2 to get the result: (5 + 7) ÷ 2 = 6.
In conclusion, it would depend on what your end goal is when deciding whether to use the average or the median.
I hope that this explanation helps you.
