SAT Math : How to find arithmetic mean

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Math

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Example Questions

Example Question #78 : Data Analysis

On her first four math tests, Kelly earned scores of 75, 85, 92, and 80. What must she score on the fifth test to make her class average 84?

Possible Answers:

83

84

90

88

85

Correct answer:

88

Explanation:

The average of five tests scores must be 84. In other words, (sum of five scores)/5 = 84.

Let's multiply both sides by 5:

sum of five scores = 420

The sum of the first four scores plus the fifth score must be 420. The sum of the first four scores is 75 + 85 + 92 + 80 = 332.

Therefore, 332 + fifth score = 420.

Subtract 332 from both sides:

fifth score = 88.

The answer is 88.

Example Question #51 : Arithmetic Mean

A teacher tells the class that that mean on the test of six students was an 82. However the teacher only knows five of the students scores as follows:

What did the other student score on the test? 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Let  represent the unkown test score. Then an equation can be set up by summing the test scores and dividing by the number of tests. This is equal to the mean:

Cross multiplying and combining the known test scores gives:

Subtracting 410 from both sides gives:

Example Question #81 : Data Analysis

Determine the mean of the following data set.  

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

Divide this number by three to find the mean.

The mean is:  

Example Question #51 : Arithmetic Mean

Express the mean of  and  in terms of  and .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The mean of two numbers is half their sum, so the mean of  and  is:

Example Question #81 : Data Analysis

Bill needs a test average of at least 82% percent in order to pass his class. He received 71% and 78% on his first two tests, respectively. What is the lowest score Bill can recieve on his third test to pass the class? Assume all tests are weighted equally.

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The purpose of this question is to understand averaging percentages. Assuming all tests are weighted equally, all tests are 100 points and therefore the percentages will directly translate into their point values.

Adding the 71 points and the 78 points together of the first two tests, it is 149 points scored out of the possible 200.

With all three tests, there are a possible 300 points; and the necessary 82% of those 300 points is 246.

This means that a total of at least 246 points must be scored for Bill to pass the class. Since 149 have already been scored, it leaves  points to be scored. So, Bill must score at least 97% on the last test to pass the class.

Example Question #51 : Arithmetic Mean

The average of  consecutive even integers is .  What is the largest of the  integers?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

If you average consecutive integers, the average will be the middle number.  That means that  even integers lie on both sides of the middle number of .  Three even integers above  is .

Example Question #51 : Arithmetic Mean

Find the mean of the following numbers:  

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The mean is the sum of all the numbers in the set over the total numbers in the set.

Add the numbers in the set.

Divide this number by three, since there are three numbers in this set.

The mean is .

Example Question #52 : Arithmetic Mean

Five boys took a biology test. Their scores were as follows:

75, 85, 95, x, 80

If the average of the boys' scores was 80, then what is the value of x? 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The average of the test scores can be written as follows:

Simplifying this equation, we get

.

Therefore, the fourth boy's score was 65. 

 

Example Question #53 : Arithmetic Mean

Five students take a test. Their scores are listed below:

If the average score for the students is , what did the fourth student score?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

We can express the average score in the class as

Then, we can solve for x.

Example Question #52 : Arithmetic Mean

Find the arithmetic mean of the following set of numbers:

1,5,14,17,22,23,23

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

To find the arithmetic mean, simply sum up the numbers and divide by the total. Essentially, you are finding the average.

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