MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY

MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY

According to Simpson and Kafka
” A measure of central tendency is a typical value around which other figure congregate” Thus, in brief, we have, “A Measure of
central tendency (called an average) is a single value within the range of the entire population which can be used to represent
the population.”
OBJECTIVES OF MEASURING CENTRAL TENDENCY
▪ To Represent Mass of Data (i.e. population) in simple & concise manner.
▪ To get a single value that describes the characteristic of population.
▪ To know about the population from sample.
▪ To facilitate Comparison.
▪ To trace precise relationship.
▪ To use as a base for further analysis of data.
REQUISITES OF A GOOD MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDECY
PROF. YULES’S Criteria
▪ It should be Rigidly Defined.
▪ It should be Based on all Observation.
▪ It should be Capable for Mathematical & Algebraic Treatment.
▪ It should be Readily comprehensible & easily calculable.
▪ It should be Unaffected by fluctuation of Sampling.
One more Criteria
▪ It should be Unaffected by extreme Value.

DIFFERENT MEASURES OF CENTRAL TENDENCY

▪ Mathematical Averages
Arithmetic Mean
Geometric Mean
Harmonic Mean
Quadratic Mean
▪ Positional Averages
Median
Mode
▪ Commercial Averages
Moving Averages
Progressive Averages
Composite Averages

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By Pashupati Nath Verma

 MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY
ARITHMETIC MEAN
This is the simplest & easy to measure and defined as,
” Arithmetic Mean of a set of observations is their sum divided by the number of observations”
Thus, Arithmetic Mean, Generally Denoted by x, is given by
Sum of all Observation
x=
Number of Observation
More comprehensively,
Let frequency distribution of the variable x is xi / fi , (i=1,2,3,…………n), where fi is the frequency of observation xi of variable x.
Then arithmetic mean (in short AM) can be calculated as
n n
1
Direct Method x=
N
fx
i =1
i i , where N =  fi
i =1

n
1
Shortcut Method x = A+
N
fd
i =1
i i where di = xi − A,

h n
xi − A
Step Deviation Method x = A+
N
fd
i =1
i i
'
where di' =
h
Mathematical Properties
➢ Algebraic sum of deviation of a frequency distribution from mean is ZERO.
➢ The sum of squares of the deviation of a frequency distribution is minimum when taken about AM.
➢ If every observation of a series is increased/decreased by a constant value then the AM of the series will be
increased/decreased by that constant value.
➢ Mean of composite Series
X1 N1 + X 2 N 2
Composite Mean =
N1 + N 2

MERIT OF AM DEMERIT OF AM

▪ It is rigidly defined. It can not be determined by inspection.

▪ It is Easy to Understand & Calculate.
▪ It is based upon all observations. It can not deal with qualitative characteristic.
▪ It is Amenable to algebraic treatment.
▪ It is less affected by fluctuation of sampling. It is Affected very much by extreme observation.

If a single observation is missing it can not be calculated.

It is Not suitable for skewed distributions.

Practice Exercise
1. The mean of 25 items was calculated by a student as 20. If an item 13 is replaced by 30, find the changed value of mean.
2. The mean salary paid to 1000 employees of an establishment was found to be Rs180.40. Later on, after disbursement of
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the salary, it was discovered that the salaries of two employees were wrongly recorded as Rs 297 and Rs 165 instead of
Rs 197 and Rs 185. Find the correct arithmetic mean.
3. The mean wage of 100 labours working in a factory, running two shifts of 60 and 40 workers respectively, is Rs 38. The
mean wage of 60 labours working in the morning shift is Rs 40. Find the mean wage of 40 labours working in the evening
shift.

By Pashupati Nath Verma

 MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY
Illustration: Calculation of AM for a given frequency distribution
Direct Method

Shortcut Method or Assumed Mean method

Step deviation Method

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By Pashupati Nath Verma

 MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY

Example: The following is the distribution of weights (in lbs.) of 60 students of a class:
Weights 93-97 98-102 103-107 108-112 113-117 118-122 123-127 128-132 Total

Students 2 5 12 ? 14 ? 3 1 60
If the mean weight of the students is 110.917, find the missing frequencies.
Let f1 be the frequency of the class 108-112 & f2, the frequency of the class 118-122 .
Then 2+5+12+14+3+1+f1+f2=60. Thus, f2=60 - (2+5+12+14+3+1+f1) = 23 - f1.
Writing this information in tabular form we have:

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By Pashupati Nath Verma

 MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY
WEIGHTED ARITHMETIC MEAN
If all the items are not of equal importance, then simple arithmetic mean will not be a good representative of the given data.
Hence, weighing of different items becomes necessary.
if x1, x2…………………. xn are the values of some variable x & w1, w2. …………….wn are respective weights assigned to them then
weighted AM will be given by

xw =
w1 x1 + w2 x2 + w3 x3 + ....... + wn xn
=
w x
i i

w1 + w2 + w3 + ........ + wn w i

USES OF THE WEIGHTED MEAN:

Weighted arithmetic mean is used in:
◼ Construction of index numbers.
◼ Comparison of results of two or more universities where number of students differ.
◼ Computation of standardized death and birth rates.

EXAMPLE: Calculate weighted average from the following data

SOLUTION:

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By Pashupati Nath Verma

 MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY
MEDIAN
Median of a frequency distribution is the central value of the variable that divides the series into two equal parts in such a way
that half of the item lie above this value & the remaining half lie below this value. Median is called a positional average because
it is based on the position of a given observation in a series arranged in ascending or descending.
For Example:2,5,3,4,6,9,8,2,3.5,4, is a series. On arranging all the 11 item of the series in ascending order:2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5,6,8,9. It
is clear that 4 is the median since equal number of items of the series lies above & below this observation.

COMPUTATION OF MEDIAN
Individual series
To compute the median arrange the discrete series in ascending or descending order and use following formula:
Median= Middle Value
(𝑛+1)
if N is odd 𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛 = 𝑆𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ 𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑚,
2
𝑛 (𝑛+1)
if N is even 𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛 = 𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ 𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑚,
2 2
Where n=Number of items,

Discrete Series
Step 1-Arrange the distribution in ascending or descending order & calculate cumulative frequency.
Step 2-Ascertain the (N/2)th item.
Step 3-Determine the cf which includes (N/2)th item. The corresponding item will be the Median of the frequency distribution.

Continuous Series
Steps involved in computation are
Step1: Arrange the distribution in ascending or descending order & calculate cumulative frequency.
Step2: Ascertain Median Number M=N/2
Step3: Ascertain the Cumulative Frequency which includes M = (N/2)th item, the corresponding class will be the median class.
Now we can use following formula to calculate median.
L2 − L1 Where
Md = L1 + (m − c) m= Median Number=N/2
F1 L1= Lower Limit of Median Class
L2= Upper Limit of Median Class
F1= Frequency of Median Class
Md = L + 1
h
F1
( N2 − c) c= Cumulative Frequency of class preceding to Median
Class
h = (L2 – L1) Median Class Interval

MERITS OF MEDIAN DEMERITS OF MEDIAN

1. Rigidly defined 1. Not based on all observation
2. Easy to understand & calculate 2. Not amenable to algebraic treatment.
3. Not at all affected by extreme value 3. Does not consider the extreme observations.
4. Useful for open ended distribution. 4. Not the good representative of the series.
5. Located graphically & sometimes merely 5. Requires sequential arrangement of the data.
by inspection. 6. It is more likely to affect by fluctuation of sampling than
6. Useful for qualitative data. arithmetic Mean.
7. Its calculation is based upon the assumption the median class
has uniform distribution which might not be true

GRAPHIC METHOD FOR LOCATION OF MEDIAN:

Median can be located with the help of the cumulative frequency curve or ‘ogive’. The procedure for locating median in a grouped
data is as follows:
Step1: The class boundaries, where there are no gaps between consecutive classes, are represented on the x-axis.
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Step2: The cumulative frequency corresponding to different classes is plotted on the vertical axis (y-axis) against the upper/lower
limit of the class interval (or against the variate value in the case of a discrete series.)
Step3: The curve obtained on joining the points by means of freehand drawing is called the ‘ogive’. The ogive so drawn will be a
less/more than ogive.
Step4: The value of N/2 or (N+1)/2 is marked on the y-axis, where N is the total frequency.
Step5: A horizontal straight line is drawn from the point N/2 or (N+1)/2 on the y-axis parallel to x-axis to meet the ogive.
Step6: A vertical straight line is drawn from the point of intersection perpendicular to the horizontal axis.
Step7: The point of intersection of the perpendicular to the x-axis gives the value of the median.
Remark: From the point of intersection of ‘ less than’ and ‘more than’ ogives, if a perpendicular is drawn on the x-axis, the point
so obtained on the horizontal axis gives the value of the median.

By Pashupati Nath Verma

 MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY
Individual Series Illustrations -1 Calculate median of following series:
Roll No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Marks 25 55 5 45 15 35 60
SOLUTION:
Arranging series in increasing order we will get
5 15 25 35 45 55 60
As this individual series contains odd number of item hence median will be given by
(𝑛+1) 1
𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛 = 𝑆𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ 𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑚 = (7 + 2) 𝑡ℎ 𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑚=4th item=35
2

Illustrations -2 Calculate median of following series:

Roll No 1 2 3 4 5 6

Marks 25 55 5 45 15 35
SOLUTION:
Arranging series in increasing order we will get
5 15 25 35 45 55
As this individual series contains even number of item hence median will be given by
𝑛 (𝑛 + 1)
𝑀𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛 = 𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ 𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑚 = 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑓 3𝑟𝑑 & 4𝑡ℎ 𝐼𝑡𝑒𝑚 = (25 + 35/2) = 30
2 2
Discrete Series Illustrations -3
Calculate the median for following series:
Marks 45 55 25 35 5 15

No. of Students 40 30 30 50 10 20
Solution:
Arranging Series in ascending order and calculating cumulative frequencies we have:
Marks Less than 5 15 25 35 45 55

No. of Students 10 20 30 50 40 30

Cumulative Frequencies 10 10+20=30 30+30=60 60+50=110 150 180=N (Even)

(N/2)th item=180/2=90th item
Cf which includes 90th item = 110
Median=Size of item corresponding to 110=35

Continuous Series Illustration 4

Calculate Median for Following Data:
Marks 0-10 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60
No. of Students 10 20 30 50 40 30
Solution: After calculating cumulative frequencies we have following cf table:
No. of N=180
Marks Cumulative frequency
Students Median Number, m=N/2=90
0-10 10 10 Class containing 90th item is 30-40. Thus 30-40 is median class.
Thus we have
10-20 20 30 cf of the class just preceding to median class, c=60
Lower Limit of the Median Class, L1=30
20-30 30 60 Upper Limit of the Median Class, L2=40
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Frequency of Median Class, F1=50

30-40 50 110 Putting these values in following formula:

40-50 40 150 L2 − L1
Md = L1 + (m − c)
50-60 30 180=N F1
40 − 30
Md = 30 + (90 − 60) = 36
50

By Pashupati Nath Verma

 MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY
MODE
Mode is often said to be that value of a series which occurs most frequently or which has the greatest frequency. But it is not
exactly true for every frequency distribution. Rather it is that value around which the items stand to concentrate most heavily. It
is the most typical or fashionable value of a distribution because it is the value which has the greatest frequency density in its
neighborhood.
COMPUTATION OF MODE
Individual series: Simply ascertain the value of most frequent item that value will be the Mode.
Discrete Series
Step1 – Ascertain maximum frequency
Step2 – Ascertain the value of item corresponding to maximum frequency if needed use grouping table.
Step3 – Mode = Value of item corresponding to maximum frequency.
Continuous Series
In a continuous series, to find out the mode, we need one step more than those used for discrete series. As explained in the
discrete series, modal class is determined which will be the class corresponding to maximum frequency; if needed use grouping
table to determine Modal Class. Then we apply the following formula.
Where,
L1 & L2 = lower & Upper limit of the modal class
respectively.
f1 − f 0 f1 − f0 f1 = frequency of the modal class
Mo = L1 + h = L1 + h
2 f1 − f 0 − f 2 f1 − f 0 + f1 − f 2 f0 = frequency of the class preceding the modal class
f2 = frequency of the class succeeding the modal class
h = (L2 – L1) Modal Class Interval.
Preparing Grouping Table:
For a frequency distribution modal class corresponds to the maximum frequency. But, the modal class is determined by the
method of grouping, in any one (or more) of the following cases:
1. If the maximum frequency is repeated
2. If the maximum frequency occurs in the beginning or at the end of the distribution
3. If there are irregularities in the distribution
4. If distribution is flat near the top.
Steps for preparing Grouping table are below:
1. Prepare a Grouping & Analysis table with 6 columns apart from Class-Interval & frequency Column.
2. Column I is obtained by combining the frequencies two by two.
3. Leave the 1st frequency and combine the remaining frequencies two by two and write in column II.
4. Column III is obtained by combining the frequencies three by three.
5. Leave the 1st frequency and combine the remaining frequencies three by three and write in column IV.
6. Leave the 1st and 2nd frequencies and combine the remaining frequencies three by three and write in column V.
7. Encircle the highest frequency or grouped frequency in each column.
8. Then prepare an analysis table in last VI column by writing the number of times frequencies of different class intervals
encircled in entire grouping table.
9. The class whose frequency has been encircled most will be the Modal Class.
Graphic Location of mode:
1. Draw a histogram of the given distribution.
2. Join the rectangle corner of the highest rectangle (modal class rectangle) by
a straight line to the top right corner of the preceding rectangle. Similarly
the top left corner of the highest rectangle is joined to the top left corner of
the rectangle on the right.
3. From the point of intersection of these two diagonal lines, draw a
perpendicular to the x -axis.
4. The value so obtained on x-axis gives the mode.

MERITS OF MODE DEMERITS OF MODE

1. It is the only measure in case of categorical data. 1. In case of bi modal/multi modal series, mode cannot
2. It is not affected by extreme value be determined.
3. Its value can be determined in open-end distribution 2. It is not capable of further algebraic treatment. For
without ascertaining the class-limits. example, combined mode of two or more series
4. It can be used to describe qualitative phenomenon. cannot be calculated.
5. Its value can be determined graphically. 3. It is not based on all the items of series.
6. It is good measure of central value in case of highly 4. It is not rigidly defined measure because different
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skewed distributions. For a moderately asymmetrical formulas give somewhat different answers.
distribution, the relationship between them are 5. Its value is affected significantly by the size of the
brought by Prof. Karl Pearson as class-intervals.
Mode = 3median - 2mean.

By Pashupati Nath Verma

 MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY
ILLUSTRATION1 Calculate mode for the following:
CI f
0-50 5
50-100 14
100-150 40
150-200 91
200-250 150
250-300 87
300-350 60
350-400 38
400 and above 15
SOLUTION:
The highest frequency is 150 and corresponding class interval is 200 – 250, which is the modal class.
Here
L1 & L2 = lower & Upper limit of the modal class respectively=200 & 250 respectively
f1 = frequency of the modal class=150
f0 = frequency of the class preceding the modal class=91
f2 = frequency of the class succeeding the modal class=87
h = (L2 – L1), Modal Class Interval=250-200=50
Using formula for modal value
f1 − f 0 150 − 91
Mo = L1 + h = 200 + 50 = 224.18
f1 − f 0 + f1 − f 2 150 − 91 + 150 − 87
ILLUSTRATION2: Calculate mode for the following frequency distribution.
Class Interval 0-5 5-10 10-15 15-20 20-25 25-30 30-35 35-40
Frequency 9 12 15 16 17 15 10 3
SOLUTION:
Since this distribution is almost flat near the top thus we will use grouping table to determine modal class.
Grouping and Analysis Table
Class Interval Freq. Col 1 Col 2 Col 3 Col 4 Col 5 Col 6/Analysis Table
0-5 9 9+12=21 0
5-10 12 12+15=27 9+12+15=36 1
10-15 15 15+16=31 12+15+16=43 2
15-20 16 16+17=33 15+16+17=48 4
20-25 17 17+15=32 16+17+15=48 5
25-30 15 15+10=25 17+15+10=42 2
30-35 10 10+3=13 15+10+3=38 0
35-40 3 0
As 17 is the most frequent frequency (5 times in grouping & analysis table) hence corresponding class 20-25 will be modal class.
For the above distribution: L1 =20, f1 = 17, f0 = 16, f2 = =15 and h = 5
Using formula for modal value
f1 − f 0 17 − 16
Mo = L1 + h = 20 + 5 = 21.67
f1 − f 0 + f1 − f 2 17 − 16 + 17 − 15
ILLUSTRATION3: If the mean and median of a moderately asymmetrical series are 26.8 and 27.9 respectively, what would be its
most probable mode?
Solution:
Using the empirical formula
Mode = 3 median - 2 mean = 3 ´ 27.9 - 2 ´ 26.8= 30.1
ILLUSTRATION4: In a moderately asymmetrical distribution the values of mode and mean are 32.1 and 35.4 respectively. Find
the median value.
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Solution:
Using empirical Formula
Median = [2mean+mode]/3 =[2 ´ 35.4 + 32.1]/3 = 34.3

Illustration5: Locate mode for the following data:

69,10,12,18,19,23,28,24,28,23,37,48,23,49,60
SOLUTION:
(1)
For given data
Observation : 10 12 18 19 23 24 28 37 48 49 60 69
Frequency : 1 1 1 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 1 1
Mode=Most frequent value in the series=3

By Pashupati Nath Verma

 MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY
ILLUSTRATION 6: Calculate Mode for the following series:
Size 15-30 30-45 45-60 60-75 75-90 90-105
Frequency 17 20 44 26 13 11
SOLUTION

Size 15-30 30-45 45-60 60-75 75-90 90-105

Frequency 17 20 44 26 13 11
Using the formula for the mode,
Mode=L +h[(f1-f0)/{|f1-f0|+|f1-f2|}]
For given data, class 45-60 is modal class as its frequency is the highest.
L 1= lower limit of the modal class=45
f1 = frequency of the modal class=44
f0 = frequency of the class preceding the modal class=20
f2 = frequency of the class succeeding the modal class=26
h = Modal Class Interval=60-45=15

Putting value in the formula

Mode=45 +15*[(44-20)/{|44-20|+|44-26|}]
Mode=45 +15*[24/{24+18}]
Mode=45 +15*[24/42]
Mode=45 +8.571
Mode=53.571
ILLUSTRATION 7:
Calculate Mode for the following series:
Class 8-Apr 12-Aug 16-Dec 16-20 20-24 24-28 28-32 32-36 36-40
Frequency 10 12 16 14 10 8 17 5 4

SOLUTION:
For a frequency distribution modal class corresponds to the maximum frequency. But, the modal class is determined by the
method of grouping, in any one (or more) of the following cases:
• If the maximum frequency is repeated
• If the maximum frequency occurs in the beginning or at the end of the distribution
• If there are irregularities in the distribution
• If distribution is flat near the top.
Since, in the given data, frequencies are irregular and not bell-shaped flatter at the top thus modal class will be identifies using
grouping method.
Grouping and Analysis table: Classes are grouped and identified for highest frequent class in group
Class Frequency Col. 1 Col.2 Col.3 Col.4 Col.5 Analysis Table
4-8 10 10+12=22 10+12+16=38 1
8-12 12 12+16=28 12+16+14=42 1
12-16 16 16+14=30 16+14+10=40 4 Most frequent class
16-20 14 14+10=24 14+10+8=32 2
20-24 10 10+8=18 10+8+17=53 1
24-28 8 8+17=25 8+17+5=30 1
28-32 17 17+5=22 17+5+4=26 2
32-36 5 5+4=9 5+4+0=9 0
36-40 4 4 0
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On the basis of grouping and analysis (12-16) is modal class.

Now, using the formula for the mode,
Mode=L +h[(f1-f0)/{|f1-f0|+|f1-f2|}]
Where,
L 1= lower limit of the modal class=12
f1 = frequency of the modal class=16
f0 = frequency of the class preceding the modal class=12
f2 = frequency of the class succeeding the modal class=14
h =Modal Class Interval=16-12=4

Putting value in the formula

Mode=12+4*[(16-12)/{|16-12|+|16-14|}]=14.67

By Pashupati Nath Verma

 MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY
GEOMETRIC MEAN
DEFINITION:
The geometric mean of a series containing n observations is the nth root of the product of the values. If x1,x2…, xn are observations
then
GM = n x1.x2 x3 ..............xn
For a frequency distribution xi / fi , i=1,2,3,…………n of the variable x
𝑛 1/𝑁

𝐺𝑀 = [∏ 𝑥𝑖 𝑓𝑖 ]
𝑖=1
𝐺𝑀 =AntiLog
n
GM = [ fi xi ]1/ N
i

1 
GM = AntiLog   fLogx 
N 

When the distribution of a variable is skewed right (+), The effect of the skew and/or outliers on the mean can be reduced by
computing the geometric mean as a measure of central tendency.

MERITS OF GEOMETRIC MEAN

❑ It is rigidly defined.
❑ It is based on all items.
❑ It is very suitable for averaging ratios, rates and %s.
❑ It is capable of further mathematical treatment.
❑ It is not affected much by extreme values.
❑ When the distribution of a variable is skewed right (+) the effect of the skew and/or outliers on the mean can be reduced
by computing the geometric mean as a measure of central tendency.
DEMERITS OF GEOMETRIC MEAN
❑ It cannot be used when the values are negative or if any of the observations is zero
❑ It is difficult to calculate.
❑ It brings out the property of the ratio of the change and not the absolute difference of change as the case in arithmetic
mean.
❑ The GM may not be the actual value of the series.

ILLUSTRATION1: Calculate the average income per head from the data given below .Use geometric mean.
Class of people Number of Families Monthly income per head(Rs)
Landlords 2 5000
Cultivators 100 400
Landless–labours 50 200
Money–lenders 4 3750
Office Assistants 6 3000
Shopkeepers 8 750
Carpenters 6 600
Weavers 10 300
SOLUTION:
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1 n 
GM = Anti log   fi Logxi 
 N i =1 
GM = Anti log(482.257 /186)
GM = Anti log 2.5928 = 391.50

By Pashupati Nath Verma

 MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY
HARMONIC MEAN
DEFINITION:
The Harmonic mean of a series containing n observations is defined as the reciprocal of the arithmetic average of the reciprocal
of the given values.. If x1,x2…, xn are observations then
n
HM = n

 (1/ x )
i =1
i

For a frequency distribution xi / fi , i=1,2,3,…………n of the variable x

N
HM = n

f
i =1
i / xi

MERITS OF H.M :
❑ It is rigidly defined.
❑ It is defined on all observations.
❑ It is amenable to further algebraic treatment.
❑ It is the most suitable average when it is desired to give greater weight to smaller observations and less weight to the
larger ones.
DEMERITS OF H.M :
❑ It is not easily understood.
❑ It is difficult to compute.
❑ It is only a summary figure and may not be the actual item in the series
❑ It gives greater importance to small items and is therefore, useful only when small items have to be given greater
weightage.
ILLUSTRATION1: An investor buys `1200 worth of shares in a company each month. During the first five months he bought the
shares at a price of `10, 12, 15, 20 and 24 per share. After 5 months what is the average price paid for the shares by him?
SOLUTION:
HM will be the appropriate average to calculate as prices are rates whose average is to be calculated.
5
Average Pr ice Per Share = HM = = 14.63
1 1 1 1 1
+ + + +
10 12 15 20 24
This can be explained with the concept that
The average price per share = Total amount spent / Total number of shares
= 6000/410
= 14.63
ILLUSTRATION2: An individual purchases three qualities of pencils. The relevant data are given below; Calculate average price
per pencil.
Quality Price per pencil (Rs.) Money Spent (Rs.)
A 1.00 50
B 1.50 30
C 2.00 20
SOLUTION: Since different sums of money spent in various situations, we have to calculate weighted harmonic mean to calculate
average price. 50 + 30 + 20
WeightedHM = = 1.25
50 30 20
+ +
1.00 1.50 2.00
ILLUSTRATION3: In a 400 metre athlete competition, a participant covers the distance as given below. Find his average speed.
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Distance Speed (Meter/Second)

First 80 Meters 10
Next 240 Meters 7.5
Last 80 Meters 10

SOLUTION:
80 + 240 + 80
HM = = 8.33meter / sec .
80 240 80
+ +
10 7.5 10

By Pashupati Nath Verma

 MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY
Miscellaneous Exercise
Problem 1: According to the journal Chemical Engineering, an important property of a fiber is its water
absorbency. A random sample of 20 pieces of cotton fiber is taken and the absorbency on each piece was
measured. The following are the absorbency values:

18.71 21.41 20.72 21.81 19.29 22.43 20.17

23.71 19.44 20.50 18.92 20.33 23.00 22.85

19.25 21.77 22.11 19.77 18.04 21.12

(a) Calculate the sample mean and median for the above sample values.
(b) Compute the 10% trimmed mean.
(c) Do a dot plot of the absorbency data?

(a)

Sample Mean:

Sample Mean=Sum of all values/Number of values=415.35/20=20.7675

Median:

# Values Since number of observations is 20(n-even number) median will be average of 10th & 11th values of
orderly arranged data.
1 18.04
2 18.71 Median of 20 values = (10th Value of orderly arranged data+11th value of orderly arranged data)/2
3 18.92
4 19.25 = (20.5+20.72)/2
5 19.29
= 20.61
6 19.44
7 19.77
8 20.17
9 20.33
10 20.5
11 20.72
12 21.12
13 21.41
14 21.77
15 21.81
16 22.11
17 22.43
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18 22.85
19 23
20 23.71
(b) 10% Trimmed Mean can be computed by omitting 10% smallest and 10% largest values. Since, we
have 20 observation so we will omit 2 largest and 2 smallest observation.

10% Trimmed Mean =Sum of Observation after trimming/Number of observations after trimming

=331.89/16

=20.743125

By Pashupati Nath Verma

 MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY
Problem 2: The female students in an undergraduate engineering core course at ASU self-reported their heights to the nearest
inch. The data are
62 64 66 67 65 68 61 65 67 65 64 63 67
68 64 66 68 69 65 67 62 66 68 67 66 65
69 65 70 65 67 68 65 63 64 67 67
(a) Calculate the sample mean and standard deviation of height.
(b) Construct a stem-and-leaf diagram for the height data and comment on any important features that you notice.
(c) What is the median height of this group of female engineering students?

SOLUTION:
(a)
SAMPLE MEAN AND STANDARD DEVIATION OF HEIGHT.
Frequency Table of female students
Height (Inch)
Fx fx2
(x) Number of Students (f)
61 1 61 3721
62 2 124 7688
63 2 126 7938
64 4 256 16384
65 8 520 33800
66 4 264 17424
67 8 536 35912
68 5 340 23120
69 2 138 9522
70 1 70 4900
2
Total (N)=37 Σfx=2435 Σfx =160409

Sample Mean
Sample Mean= Σfx/N
Sample Mean =2435/37=65.81 Inch

Standard Deviation
1 1 2
𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 = √ ∑ 𝑓𝑥 2 − ( ∑ 𝑓𝑥)
𝑁 𝑁
Standard Deviation=SQRT[Σfx2/N- (Σfx/N)2]
=SQRT[(160409/37)-(2435/37)^2]
=2.077392 Inch
(b)
STEM-AND-LEAF DIAGRAM FOR THE HEIGHT DATA
Stem Leaf
6 1
6 22
6 33
6 4444
6 55555555
6 6666
6 77777777
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6 88888
6 99
7 1

Stem plot show that height data is bimodal and data is mildly negatively skewed.

(c)
MEDIAN HEIGHT OF THIS GROUP OF FEMALE ENGINEERING STUDENTS

Median can be obtained from stem plot itself; as 37 observations are given hence (37+1)/2=19 th item of the orderly arranged
data will be the median.
By Pashupati Nath Verma
 MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY

Stem Leaf
6 1
19thitem is 66
6 22
6 33
6 4444
6 55555555
6 6666
6 77777777
6 88888
6 99
7 1
To Identify median from stem plot start counting leaf from top to bottom, data corresponding to 19 th leaf will be median. 1st leaf
is 1, 2nd leaf is 2, 3rd leaf is 2, 4th is 3………………………and 19th is 6 hence 66 is median.

Alternatively, you can use usual method, by using cumulative frequencies:

Height (Inch) Number of Students Cumulative
(x) (f) Frequency
61 1 1
62 2 2+1=3
18th, 19th, 20th, and
63 2 2+3=5
21st item is 66
64 4 4+5=9
65 8 17
66⟸ 4 ⟹21
67 8 29
68 5 34
69 2 36
70 1 37
Total (N)=37

Median=(N+1)/2 the item=19th item=Class or item where 19th item falls=66

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By Pashupati Nath Verma

 MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY

COMPARISON: MEAN, MEDIAN, MODE,GM & HM

CRITERIA Mean Median Mode GM HM
1 n
L2 − L1 f1 − f 0 N
Formula fx HM =
n
x= Md = L1 + (m − c) Mo = L1 + h GM = [ fi xi ]1/ N n

N i =1
i i
F1 f1 − f 0 + f1 − f 2 i f
i =1
i / xi

Computation Based on All Items Items nearer to Middle Item Items nearer to highest frequency All items All Items

Uniqueness Unique Unique Multiple Unique Unique

Scale of Measurement Interval & Ratio Ordinal, Interval & Ratio Nominal, Ordinal, Interval & Ratio Interval & Ratio Interval & Ratio

Application to open End Classes Indeterminate Determinate Determinate Indeterminate Indeterminate

Computation Easy Easy Easy Not Easy Not Easy

Algebraic Treatment Possible Not Possible Not Possible Possible Possible

Relation with other Averages Mo=3Md-2AM GM=(AM*HM)1/2

Sampling Stability Yes No No Yes yes

Mathematical Property ∑fi(xi-AM)=0 ∑fi(xi-Md) is Minimum ∑fi(Logxi-Log GM)=0

∑ fi (xi-AM)2 is minimum

Graphical representation No Yes Yes No No

Effect of Extreme Value Greatest No No Less Lesser

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Arrangement of Data Not needed Needed Not needed Not needed Not needed

By Pashupati Nath Verma

MEASURE OF CENTRAL TENDENCY

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By Pashupati Nath Verma