Ch. 4
2 of 1 ·The Average Trap
Chapter 4 · Numbers Tell Stories
Lesson 2 · Numbers in Context
The Average Trap
See what a mean can hide and when the median helps.
Easy~25 minFree preview
Concept
One average does not describe everyone
The mean shares the total equally. The median is the middle value. One extreme value can pull the mean far away from what most people experience.
Example
The pocket-money puzzle
Click to zoomIllustration supporting The pocket-money puzzleWeekly amounts ₹50, ₹60, ₹70, ₹80 and ₹1,000 have a mean of ₹252 but a median of ₹70. Saying the typical learner gets ₹252 would be misleading.