To find the mean (also called the average) of a set of numbers, follow these steps:

1. Add up all the numbers in the data set to get the total sum.
2. Count how many numbers are in the data set.
3. Divide the total sum by the count of numbers.

The formula for the mean xˉ\bar{x}xˉ is:

xˉ=sum of all valuesnumber of values\bar{x}=\frac{\text{sum of all values}}{\text{number of values}}xˉ=number of valuessum of all values​

Example

For the numbers: 3, 11, 4, 6, 8, 9, 6

• Add them: 3+11+4+6+8+9+6=473+11+4+6+8+9+6=473+11+4+6+8+9+6=47
• Count: There are 7 numbers
• Divide: 47÷7=6.747\div 7=6.747÷7=6.7

So, the mean is 6.7

. This method works the same even if the numbers include decimals or negative values. The mean represents the central or typical value of the data set.