Simple Average (Arithmetic Average)

1. Give a detailed example of using a weighted mean.
Look for an example that is

different from the one below, unless you plan on becoming a teacher :-)
1a. In your example, explain how the weighted mean can be a better average than another
measure of center like the simple mean?
It’s useful to distinguish two types of average measures: Simple average (or arithmetic

average) and weighted average. Both—simple and weighted averages—are widely used in
practice but each type is more appropriate to use than the other for certain purposes and
applications.
SIMPLE AVERAGE (ARITHMETIC AVERAGE)
The simple average of a set of observations is computed as the sum of the individual
observations divided by the number of observations in the set. For example, assume there are
five students in a small class with the following scores on a certain test—say math—82, 78,
83, 91 and 85. The teacher is interested in calculating their average score. Then the simple
average would be 83.8 and is calculated as:
SA = (82 + 78 + 83 + 91 + 85) / 5 = 83.8.
WEIGHTED AVERAGE
This leads us to the second type of average measures—the weighted average. Unlike the
simple average, the weighted average is influenced by the weights given to the data values.
For example, assume that the math scores listed above were the final grades of each student
calculated by averaging the results of 5 different exams—three regular exams, a midterm, and
a final exam—done during the semester. However, the professor wanted the midterm and
final exams to contribute more than others to the final grade. Say the three regular exams
each account for 15% of the grade, the midterm accounts for 25%, and the final accounts for
30%. Thus, the weights for the five exams are: 0.15, 0.15, 0.15, 0.25, and 0.3 respectively.
One student achieves the following scores during the semester: 75, 80, 85, 76, and 90. This
person’s final average score using the weighted average is:
WA = (0.15 * 75 + 0.15 * 80 + 0.15 * 85 + 0.25 * 76 + 0.3 * 90) / (0.15 + 0.15 + 0.15 + 0.25
+ 0.3) = 82.0 / 1 = 82.
Average finds the middle value and hence it is termed as central tendency whereas weighted
averages find the average which is tilted towards more number of observations lie. To use a
simple average, it is always assumed that observations are equally weighted whereas in the
case of weighted average, each observation will be assigned different value, and which shall
be a unique value. The weighted average has one big limitation is that the weights assigned
can be of subjective matter which affects its calculation whereas there is no such case in the
calculation of simple.
2. As a stats instructor you award a total 250 points for different assessments in the
course. (The points are the weights and indicate how important you think each
assessment is.)
The table below shows the assessments. It also shows the scores of two students on each
assessment by the end of the semester.
1. Decide how each assessment should be weighted. That is, decide how many of the
250 points to give for each assessment.
2. Using your chosen weights, compute the class average for each of the two students.
AssessmentWeights J_ScoreJ_PointsD_ScoreD_PointsDB (30 mins. each week) 94 80 HW
(2 hours each week) 80 94 Test 1 (Chaps 1-2) 94 84 Test 2 (Chaps 3-4) 96 86 Test 3 (Chaps
5-6) 98 88 Final (Chaps 1-6) 75 90 Term Project (15 pages) 75 90 Total =250
Weights = Decide the weight for each assessment. The total must be 250
J_Score = This column holds Jason’s actual scores on assessments (out of 100)
J_Points = Points towards the class grade from this assessment. Multiply the actual score by
the weight.
D_Score and D_Points are similar to J_Score and J_Points but for Daphne.
1. Weighing Assessment
J J Points D D
score Weightage( (C=AX score(A Weightage(B Points(C2=A2XB
(A) B) B) 2) 2) 2)
DB (30 mins.
each week) 94 10 940 80 10 800
HW ( 2 HOURS
EACH WEEK) 80 15 1200 94 15 1410
Test 1 (Chap 1-2) 94 25 2350 84 25 2100
Test 2 (Chap 3-4) 96 25 2400 86 25 2150
Test 3 (Chap 5-
6) 98 25 2450 88 25 2200
Final (Chap 1-6) 75 100 7500 90 100 9000
Term Project (15
pages) 75 50 3750 90 50 4500
2. Class Average of each:
Weighted Average for J= (940+1200+2350++2400+2450+7500+3750)/250
Weighted Average for J=82.36
Weighted Average for J= (800+1410+2100+2150+2200+9000+4500)/250
Weighted Average for J=88.64

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1. Give a detailed example of using a weighted mean.

Look for an example that is

It’s useful to distinguish two types of average measures: Simple average (or arithmetic

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