Chapter 14: Problem 39
If the sum of the deviations of 50 observations from 30 is 50 , then the mean of these observations is : [Jan. 12, 2019 (I)] (a) 30 (b) 51 (c) 50 (d) 31
Short Answer
Expert verified
The mean of the observations is 31.
Step by step solution
01
Understanding Deviations
The deviation of each observation from a number is the difference between the observation and that number. Here, the sum of deviations from 30 is given as 50, which means the sum of (observation - 30) for all 50 observations is 50.
02
Setting Up the Equation
Let's denote the sum of all observations as \( S \). The sum of the deviations from 30 can be expressed as \( S - 50 imes 30 \). We know this sum is equal to 50.
03
Deriving the Sum of Observations
Since the sum of deviations is 50, we set up the equation: \( S - 1500 = 50 \). Solving for \( S \), we get \( S = 1550 \).
04
Calculating the Mean
The mean of the observations is the total sum \( S \) divided by the number of observations, which is 50. Therefore, the mean is \( \frac{1550}{50} \).
05
Final Calculation
Perform the division: \( \frac{1550}{50} = 31 \). Thus, the mean of these observations is 31.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Deviations
In statistics, a deviation represents how far a single observation is from a specific reference point. Basically, it's the difference between each observation and a given number, sometimes referred to as a central point or a mean. In our exercise, the reference point is 30.
- This means for each observation, you subtract 30 to find its deviation.
- The problem states that the sum of all these deviations for 50 observations is equal to 50.
Sum of Observations
The sum of observations, often denoted as \( S \), is the total when all individual observations are added together. This value is crucial because it helps us calculate other important statistics, like the mean.
- Initially, we do not have the direct sum of observations.
- However, by knowing the sum of deviations and using a bit of algebra, we can find \( S \).
Mathematical Expression
Mathematics allows us to express problems in a concise form using algebra. In this exercise, we translated the given information into a mathematical equation so we could find unknowns.
- The equation derived was: \( S - 1500 = 50 \).
- It's derived from the expression for sum of deviations: \( S - 50 \times 30 \).
Arithmetic Mean
The arithmetic mean, commonly just called the mean, is one of the simplest statistical tools to measure the center of a data set. It’s calculated by dividing the total sum of all observations by the number of observations.
- In our case, with a total sum of \( S = 1550 \) and 50 observations, the mean is \( \frac{1550}{50} \).
- This calculation results in a mean of 31.