IXL | Interpret mean and mean absolute deviation

The Park City Zoo is home to 8 big cats. The male lion is the heaviest at 205 pounds, followed by the tiger at 190 pounds. Most of the cats weigh less than 180 pounds. The mean of the cats' weights is about 107 pounds, and the mean absolute deviation is about 61 pounds.

Which best describes the typical weight of a big cat at the Park City Zoo?

61 pounds

107 pounds

180 pounds

190 pounds

ref_doc_title.

Learn with an example

question

The Bradyville Bears have played 9 basketball games so far this year and won 4 of them. They have scored at least 25 points in each game. The mean number of points scored per game is 37.6, and the mean absolute deviation is about 7.6 points.

Which is a measure of how much the team's scores typically vary?

4 points

7.6 points

25 points

37.6 points

key idea

The mean is the average value of the data set. It describes the center of the data set.

The mean absolute deviation (MAD) is the average distance between the data values and the mean. It describes the variability of the data set.

solution

You want to describe how much the team's scores typically vary.

Use the mean absolute deviation, since it describes the variability of the data set. The MAD is about 7.6.

So, the team's scores typically vary by about 7.6

points.

Looking for more? Try these:

Lesson: Mean, median, mode, and range

Lesson: Mean absolute deviation

$Confetti$

Excellent!

Now entering the Challenge Zone—are you ready?

Teacher tools

Work it out

Not feeling ready yet? These can help:

HH.1Calculate mean, median, mode, and range

Lesson: Mean, median, mode, and range

Lesson: Mean absolute deviation

Excellent! You got that right!

Jumping to level 1 of 1

Excellent!