Skip to main content

THE AVERAGE DOES NOT EXIST


The statisticians used to tell these jokes.
1. We humans have 1.999... legs on the average.  It will happen when we take into account physically challenged people.
2. We have only one testicle. Again this will result when all women are taken into account.
3. In a survey, men were asked how many girl friends they have.  Most of them reported one.  But a few reported 5 to 10.  Some even 100.  If we take a simple average, the answer will be shocking and misleading.
    We have to use not only average -mean, but also mode and median at the appropriate places.  Let us explore.

 MEAN:  The average we use every day.  It is got by adding all the items and dividing by no. of items.  It is suitable for the data which cluster around a central value.  Example:  Height of male or female graduate students.  Blood pressure values of persons in the age range 60-70.

 MEDIAN:  It is the number that lies in the middle when all the numbers in the data sheet are lined up in ascending order.Say, there are 51 students in a class. Marks are awarded for 100 in a particular subject.  If the median of the marks is 75, it means that 25 students had scored above 75 and another 25 students scored below 75.  It indicates a good performance.  If the median is 23, we understand that the students had done badly.

 MODE:  It is the most common (occurring) number in the data set.  In the case of average of legs, or number of wives,It is better to take the mode.  We will definitely get 2 legs and 1 wife as average.

      Normal temperature of the body, heart beats, BP value, sugar reading and other medical parameters are mostly average values.  Today, we specify average range also.
     Teachers teach not for highly intelligent students or the slow learners.  But they teach for average students (who is not present in the class).
    A state draws out finance budget for average man; A limited meal is designed for average appetite.  A plane seat will fit only average sized man and so on.
     In the world of averages we have to somehow fit ourselves in.    
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Your heart -you do not know

  Size and Location: The human heart is roughly the size of a clenched fist and is located slightly to the left of the center of the chest. Despite its relatively small size, the heart plays a crucial role in pumping blood throughout the entire body. Heartbeat Variability: The heart does not beat at a constant rate. The interval between heartbeats can vary, and this variability is considered a sign of a healthy heart. Factors such as breathing, emotions, and physical activity influence the heartbeat. Electrical Conduction: The heart's contractions are controlled by electrical impulses. The sinoatrial (SA) node, often called the "natural pacemaker," generates electrical signals that regulate the heartbeat and coordinate the pumping of blood. Blood Pumping Capacity: On average, the human heart pumps about 2,000 gallons (or 7,570 liters) of blood each day. Over a lifetime, this amounts to pumping enough blood to fill several Olympic-sized swimming pools. Heart Chambers and V...
Post a Comment
Read more

THE WORK HORSE "="

    One cannot think of  a mathematical step without 'is equal to ' .  It balances right hand side and left hand side.  It aids simplification and manipulation of a mathematical expression. example: 2(A+B)  = C 2A+2B  = C         2A = C-2B           A = C-2B/ 2   In an electronic calculator,  the pressing of ' = " sign executes an asthmatic expression  or simply calculates.       In computer languages, it plays very important role.                                                                 A = B   When a computer looks at this expression, the value stored in the location named B is just transferred to the storage named A .  After execution both A and B will have the same value an...
Post a Comment
Read more

How does your smart phone detect motion, steps, rotation, and location?

 How it works-1  An accelerometer in a smartphone is a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device that measures acceleration and tilt. It works by detecting changes in motion by measuring the vibration or acceleration of the device. The accelerometer consists of a small mass suspended on a spring inside a sealed chamber. When the device is subjected to acceleration, the mass moves relative to the device, causing a change in capacitance that can be measured and processed by the smartphone's hardware. The accelerometer measures acceleration in three dimensions (x, y, and z) and provides data that the smartphone's software can use to determine the device's orientation, detect motion, and track changes in velocity and acceleration. The accelerometer is used for a variety of purposes in a smartphone, including screen rotation, motion tracking for games and fitness apps, and detecting the position of the device for navigation and location services. Additionally, it can be used t...
Post a Comment
Read more