Measures of central tendency summarising a data set.
Mean is the arithmetic average (sensitive to outliers), median is the middle value, mode is the most frequent. Range gives spread. Choose the median for skewed data.
Mean is affected by outliers; median is robust. Describe the shape of the distribution.
Remember: always report the sample size with the average.
Measures of central tendency summarising a data set.
Mean, Median and Mode is one of the 51 topics in Lab Methods & Biostatistics. It is rated Beginner, so it suits learners who are starting out in biology. Related topics in this area include Standard Deviation, Spectrophotometry, t-Test.
Household income is usually described by median rather than mean.
Mean, Median and Mode is a Beginner topic, so no earlier topic is required. Other Beginner topics in Lab Methods & Biostatistics that pair well with it include Scientific Method, Hypothesis, Variables.
The closest topics to Mean, Median and Mode are Standard Deviation, Spectrophotometry, t-Test, Statistical Power. Comparing them side by side is a good way to see how the ideas connect.
Read the summary and the in-depth section, then use the quick check on the interactive lesson for Mean, Median and Mode. To practise the whole of Lab Methods & Biostatistics, use the Lab Methods & Biostatistics quiz.
Mean, Median and Mode: Measures of central tendency summarising a data set. Standard Deviation: A measure of spread showing how far values typically lie from the mean. Read both side by side and note what each one explains.
First, read the summary and write the definition in your own words. Second, read the in-depth section and note any example. Third, compare it with Standard Deviation and explain the difference aloud. Finally, take the Lab Methods & Biostatistics quiz and come back to this page for any question you miss.
A measure of spread showing how far values typically lie from the mean.
📊 Lab Methods & BiostatisticsDetermines how much light of a given wavelength a sample absorbs, linked to concentration by the Beer-Lambert law.
📊 Lab Methods & BiostatisticsA test for significant differences between the means of two groups.
📊 Lab Methods & BiostatisticsThe probability of detecting a true effect, determined by sample size, effect size and variability.
📊 Lab Methods & Biostatistics