Before raw data can be used as scientific evidence, it must be analyzed and summarized. one way of summarizing data is to find the mean, or average, of a set of data points. what method is used for calculating the mean?

To calculate the mean, you add up all of the data values, and then divide that sum by the *number* of values.

For instance, if you wanted to find the mean score at a home run derby, and you’re given the following numbers for home runs scored by each player:

5, 4, 6, 5, 3, 1

You could calculate the mean by adding all of the score up

5 + 4 + 6 + 5 + 3 + 1 = 24

And dividing by the number of hitters (in this case, 6)

24 / 6 = 4

So the *mean score* of the home run derby would be 4.