Mean, Median, Mode and Range

Think of these four concepts as your data detective toolkit - each one reveals something different about your numbers. The mean is what most people call the "average" - you simply add up all your numbers and divide by how many you have.

The median is like finding the middle seat in a row - it's the number that sits right in the centre when you arrange everything in order. Meanwhile, the mode is your most popular number - the one that shows up most often in your list.

Finally, the range tells you how spread out your numbers are by finding the difference between your biggest and smallest values. Using the example 1, 3, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10: the mean equals 35÷7 = 5, the median is 5 (middle position), the mode is 3 (appears twice), and the range is 10-1 = 9.

Quick tip: Remember "Mean = add and divide, Median = middle, Mode = most common, Range = biggest minus smallest"