Math Is Fun Forum

paulb203

Member

Registered: 2023-02-24

Posts: 261

Mean, median, mode

I came across a problem which began with;

"Mark ran a mean distance of 13.2km in 5 days"

Is this badly worded?

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,524

Re: Mean, median, mode

"Mark ran a mean distance of 13.2km in 5 days"
Is this badly worded?

Yes! I'm assuming it means he ran  a total of T km in 5 days and his mean daily distance was 13.2 km. Work out T.

Without the word 'daily' it could mean all sorts of things.  Maybe that's his hourly rate!  (OK that's unlikely for a runner but math questions need to be worded clearly.)

Maybe the terrain was very rough and the temperature very hot and so the questioner thought it was mean for the organisers to set such a challenge.

Bob

---

Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
You cannot teach a man anything;  you can only help him find it within himself..........Galileo Galilei
Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob

paulb203

Member

Registered: 2023-02-24

Posts: 261

Re: Mean, median, mode

Thanks, Bob, I was hoping it wasn't just me!