Table of contents
- 1. Intro to Stats and Collecting Data24m
- 2. Describing Data with Tables and Graphs1h 55m
- 3. Describing Data Numerically53m
- 4. Probability1h 29m
- 5. Binomial Distribution & Discrete Random Variables1h 16m
- 6. Normal Distribution and Continuous Random Variables58m
- 7. Sampling Distributions & Confidence Intervals: Mean1h 3m
- 8. Sampling Distributions & Confidence Intervals: Proportion1h 5m
- 9. Hypothesis Testing for One Sample1h 1m
- 10. Hypothesis Testing for Two Samples2h 8m
- 11. Correlation48m
3. Describing Data Numerically
Mean
Problem 3.CQQ.1
Textbook Question
Mean of Roller Coaster Speeds Listed below are maximum speeds (km/h) of randomly selected roller coasters in the United States. Find the mean.
70 76 97 81 57 151 194 65 117 65 45 105

1
Step 1: Understand the concept of mean. The mean is the average of a set of numbers, calculated by summing all the values and dividing by the total number of values.
Step 2: Add all the maximum speeds together. Use the formula: <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mrow><mo>∑</mo><msub><mi>x</mi><mi>i</mi></msub></mrow></math>, where <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><msub><mi>x</mi><mi>i</mi></msub></math> represents each individual speed value.
Step 3: Count the total number of roller coaster speeds provided. This will be the denominator in the mean formula.
Step 4: Divide the sum of the speeds by the total number of values using the formula: <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mfrac><mrow><mo>∑</mo><msub><mi>x</mi><mi>i</mi></msub></mrow><mi>n</mi></mfrac></math>, where <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mi>n</mi></math> is the number of values.
Step 5: Interpret the result as the mean maximum speed of the roller coasters in the dataset.

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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Mean
The mean, often referred to as the average, is a measure of central tendency that is calculated by summing all the values in a dataset and then dividing by the number of values. It provides a single value that represents the overall level of the data, making it useful for understanding the general trend. In the context of roller coaster speeds, calculating the mean speed helps to summarize the performance of the selected coasters.
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Data Set
A data set is a collection of related values or observations that can be analyzed to extract meaningful information. In this case, the data set consists of the maximum speeds of various roller coasters, which are numerical values that can be used to calculate statistical measures like the mean. Understanding the composition of the data set is crucial for accurate analysis and interpretation.
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Statistical Calculation
Statistical calculations involve mathematical operations applied to data sets to derive insights or summarize information. For finding the mean, the calculation requires adding all the values together and dividing by the count of those values. This process is fundamental in statistics, as it allows for the quantification of data characteristics and aids in making comparisons across different datasets.
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