Looking for how to find the average of numbers? We’re here to help. The standard, also known as the mean, is the sum of a set of values divided by the number of deals you have. Let’s take a look at an example of how to work out average using positive numbers first:
- In this example, the children want to share their marbles equally so that every child has the average amount.
- We need to find averages of 3, 4, 5, 8, and 10.
- First, let’s add those values together. This gives us a total of 30.
- We have five different values, so we need to work out 30÷5, which provides us with 6.
- Our final answer is that the average amount is 6.
Now that we’ve worked out how to find the average with positive values let’s look at negative numbers.
How to find the average of negative numbers
When it comes to calculating the average of sets of values that involve negative numbers, it’s not as daunting as it sounds. There’s no difference in the process we use; these negative numbers affect the total value in the same way that subtracting from it would. Let’s try an example together:
- We will find the average of -16, -8, -6, 4, 20, and 42.
- First, we need to add these numbers together. Then, if you’d prefer, you can add up the positive numbers and treat the negative numbers as the amount you’re subtracting.
- In this case, we would work out 66-30=36.
- We have six values; we reach our answer by calculating 36÷6=6.
- The average of these values is 6.
