The average is a number that represents a typical value in a set of numbers. It’s calculated by adding up all the numbers in the set and then dividing by the total number of values.
Real Life Applications of Average
Average or arithmetic mean is one of the most fundamental concepts that are used in the field of statistics and mathematics. This measure is used to find a ‘middle’ or ‘central’ value in a set of numbers. The average of any number can be calculated by adding up all the numbers of a set and then dividing it by the count of those numbers.
In this article, we are going to look at the various real-time applications of average in our daily to daily life.
Average
Average is also known as the arithmetic mean. It is a statistical measure that is used to represent a central or middle value of a set of numbers. The average can be calculated by adding all the numbers in the set and then dividing it by the quantity (or count) of numbers.
Example of Average:
- Average of: 5, 10, and 15 is (5+10+15)/3 = 10
- Average of: 20, 40, and 60 is (20+40+60)/3 = 40
In the image added below concept of the average is shown, here we have 3 heaps of apples with different numbers of apples and in the next image we have three heaps of apples with average values.
Real-Life Applications of Average
Various applications of the average formula in real-life scenarios are:
- Statistics and Data Analysis
- Finance and Economics
- Science and Engineering
- Education and Research
- Sports and Recreation
- Health and Medicine
- Business and Management, etc.
Let’s learn about the same in detail.
Statistics and Data Analysis
- It can be used to calculate central tendency: The average is a measure of the central tendency of a dataset that indicates the “middle” value of the given data. For example: the average age of a group of people can be used to represent the average age of that group.
- It can be used to compare datasets: Averages can be used to compare different datasets and identify the similarities between them or the differences in their central tendencies. For example: the average income of two different countries can be compared to represent the assessment of the economy of each country.
Finance and Economics
- It can be used to calculating average return: The average return of an investment can be used to measure its overall performance over the period of some time. For example: the average return of a stock from the last past five years can be used to assess its profitability.
- It can be used to determining average income: The average income of the population can be used to assess the economic of a society. For example: the average income of a country can be used to compare the economic status of other countries.
Science and Engineering
- It can be used to calculating average speed: The average speed of an object is calculated by the total distance traveled divided by its total time taken. For example: the average speed of a car for a journey can be used to calculate the time take to complete its journey.
- It can be used for determining average temperature: The average temperature of a region is calculated by average the temperatures recorded for a period of time. For example, the average temperature of a city for the last past month can be used to predict the climate of that city.
Education and Research
- For Calculating average grades: The average grade of a student can be used to assess their academic performance. For example: the average grade of a student in a particular subject can be used to determine the student’s overall understanding of that subject.
- For Determining average test scores: The average test score of a group of students can used to determine the effectiveness of the teaching methods used. For example: the average test score of a class can be used to assess the effectiveness of teaching methods which are used by the teacher of that class.
Sports and Recreation
- It can be used to calculating batting average: The batting average of a baseball player can be calculated by dividing the number of hits by the number of at-bats. For example: A player who hits 6 sixes in 10 balls has a batting average of 0.6.
- It can be used for determining average time: The average time of a runner in a race is calculated by dividing the total time taken by the runner by the number of runners in the race. For example: the average time of a group of runners in a marathon match can be used to determine the overall pace of the race.
Health and Medicine
- It can be used to calculate average blood pressure: The average blood pressure of a patient can used to determin their cardiovascular health. For example: An average blood pressure of 120/80 mmHg is considered to be healthy person.
- It can be used for determining average weight: The average weight of a population can be used to monitor the health status of a society also. For example: an average weight that is too high or too low will indicate health problems within that population.
Business and Management
- It can be used to calculating average sales: The average sales of a product or service can used to measure the performance of the business. For example: the average sales of a product over the past year can be used to determine the overall popularity of that product.
- It can be used to determining average customer satisfaction: The average satisfaction rating of customer can be used to determine the quality of service provided by a company. For example: an average customer satisfaction rating of 4/5 indicates that the customers are generally satisfied by the company’s product or service.
Real Life Applications of Average – FAQs
What is difference between mean, median, and mode?
Why is average useful?
Average is useful as it provides a single value that represents a set of data. It allows us to summarize and understand of large amounts of some data.
How is average used in sports?
Average is used to measure the performance of the players. For example: In cricket, a batsman’s average can be calculated by dividing total number of runs they have scored by number of times they have been out in match.
Can average be misleading?
Yes, average can be misleading sometimes. Especially when data is skewed. In such cases, other measures such as median or mode provides a better representation of data.
How is average used in economics?
Averages in economics is used to keep track of trends of various economic indicators such as average income, average cost of living, and average spending.
How is average used in weather forecasting?
In weather forecasting: the averages can be used to predict the weather patterns. For example: the average high temperature for a particular day of the year can give us an idea about the expect temperature.