Calculate the Arithmetic Mean: Finding Average of 1 and 12

Q: Why isn't 13 the answer since that's what I get when I add?

Adding gives you the sum, not the average! The average is the sum divided by how many numbers you're averaging. Since you have 2 numbers, divide: $ \frac{13}{2} = 6.5 $.

Q: How can I check if my average makes sense?

The average should always be between your smallest and largest numbers. Since 1

Q: What if I have more than two numbers?

The same formula works! Add all the numbers together, then divide by how many numbers you have. For example: average of 2, 4, 6 = $ \frac{2+4+6}{3} = 4 $.

Q: Why do we call it an average instead of a mean?

Average and arithmetic mean are the same thing! Both terms describe finding the middle value by adding numbers and dividing by the count.

Q: Can the average be a decimal even when all my numbers are whole numbers?

Yes! When you divide, you might get a decimal. For example, $ \frac{13}{2} = 6.5 $ even though both 1 and 12 are whole numbers.

Arithmetic Mean with Two-Number Sets

Calculate the average of $1$ and $12$ .

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Step-by-step video solution

Watch the teacher solve the problem with clear explanations

00:04 Let's learn how to find the average.

00:07 First, add up all the numbers you have.

00:11 Next, divide this sum by how many numbers you added.

00:15 In this case, we're dividing by two because there are two numbers.

00:22 And that's how you find the average. Great job!

Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution

Understand the problem

Calculate the average of $1$ and $12$ .

Step-by-step solution

To solve this problem, we need to calculate the average of the numbers 1 and 12. The average can be calculated using the formula:
$\text{average} = \frac{\text{sum of numbers}}{\text{number of values}}$ .

Now, let's work through the steps:
Step 1: Calculate the sum of the numbers:
$1 + 12 = 13$ .

Step 2: Determine the number of values, which is 2 in this case.
Step 3: Apply the average formula:
$\text{average} = \frac{13}{2} = 6.5$ .

Therefore, the average of the numbers 1 and 12 is $6.5$ .

Considering the given answer choices, choice 1 with $6.5$ is the correct answer as per our calculations.

Final Answer

6.5

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Formula: Average equals sum of values divided by count
Technique: Add 1 + 12 = 13, then divide by 2
Check: Verify $\frac{13}{2} = 6.5$ is between 1 and 12 ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Forgetting to divide by the number of values
Don't just add the numbers (1 + 12 = 13) and call that the average! This gives you the sum, not the average. Always divide the sum by how many numbers you have: 13 ÷ 2 = 6.5.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

If the balls below are divided so that each column in the table contains an equal number, then how many balls will there be in each column?

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why isn't 13 the answer since that's what I get when I add?

Adding gives you the sum, not the average! The average is the sum divided by how many numbers you're averaging. Since you have 2 numbers, divide: $\frac{13}{2} = 6.5$ .

How can I check if my average makes sense?

The average should always be between your smallest and largest numbers. Since 1 < 6.5 < 12, our answer of 6.5 makes perfect sense!

What if I have more than two numbers?

The same formula works! Add all the numbers together, then divide by how many numbers you have. For example: average of 2, 4, 6 = $\frac{2+4+6}{3} = 4$ .

Why do we call it an average instead of a mean?

Average and arithmetic mean are the same thing! Both terms describe finding the middle value by adding numbers and dividing by the count.

Can the average be a decimal even when all my numbers are whole numbers?

Yes! When you divide, you might get a decimal. For example, $\frac{13}{2} = 6.5$ even though both 1 and 12 are whole numbers.

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