Calculate mean, median and range for two to fifty values with ordered data, working and interpretation checks for school questions.
Choose an example or type the known values, then calculate to see the answer and working.
An average often means the arithmetic mean, but a data set can also be described by its median and range. This calculator accepts a comma-separated list, orders the values and reports these measures together. Seeing the ordered list matters: it exposes typing mistakes, the middle position and extreme values before a learner interprets a single summary number.
Use this page for a small ungrouped data set when the question asks for mean, median or range. All entries should represent the same variable and unit. Do not combine scores from different scales without conversion. For frequency tables, weighted means or grouped intervals, expand or model the frequencies correctly rather than entering only the distinct category values once each.
Four quiz scores share the same scale and can be summarised together.
Estimate the sign, scale, range or likely form of the answer before calculating. A prediction makes an input error easier to notice.
Add the values: 72 + 81 + 85 + 90 = 328.
Count four observations and divide: 328 ÷ 4 = 82, so the mean is 82.
The ordered middle values are 81 and 85, so the median is (81 + 85) ÷ 2 = 83.
The range is 90 - 72 = 18. Check the mean by multiplying 82 × 4 to recover 328.
| Mistake | Why it fails | Better check |
|---|---|---|
| Dividing by the wrong count | Repeated values still count as separate observations and cannot be ignored. | Count every entered observation, including duplicates. |
| Selecting the visual middle | The centre entry of an unsorted list is not necessarily the median. | Order the data first and use the correct middle position or pair. |
| Reporting a mean without context | A numerical centre alone can hide a large spread or unusual value. | Report the unit and compare the median and range when interpretation matters. |
Changing one observation changes the total and therefore the mean. This sensitivity makes the mean informative for balanced data but vulnerable to an extreme or wrongly typed value.
For an odd number of values, the median is the single middle entry. For an even number, it is the mean of the two middle entries. Sorting is essential; the middle of an unsorted list has no special meaning.
Range uses only the smallest and largest values. It is easy to calculate and useful for a first look, but it does not reveal how the values between those extremes are distributed.
Enter between two and fifty finite numbers separated by commas. Use a dedicated data tool for larger or structured sets.
Yes. Each occurrence represents an observation and must remain in the list for the count, median and mean to be accurate.
This page focuses on mean, median and range. The statistics summary also reports population standard deviation for a deeper view of spread.
The result points to related practice, but the best next step depends on what the learner could explain without help.