Grade 9–10 · Free math lesson
Statistics & Probability
After this lesson, you will be able to find averages, read data, and predict how likely something is to happen.
Practice Statistics & Probability freeSkills in this unit
Pick a skill to try three free questions on just that.
- Mean, median, mode, and range
- Box plots and interquartile range
- Histograms and dot plots
- Standard deviation and spread
- Simple probability
- Compound events and tree diagrams
- Two-way tables and conditional probability
- Scatter plots and lines of best fit
- Permutations and combinations
Find the Mean (Average)
Add all the numbers together, then divide by how many numbers there are. This gives you the 'middle ground' of your data.
Example: Test scores: 70, 80, 90. Add them: 70+80+90 = 240. Divide by 3: 240÷3 = 80. The mean is 80.
Remember: Mean = Add then Divide. Remember: 'A' comes before 'D' — Add first, Divide second!
Read a Data Set
Data sets have three key values: the median (middle number), the mode (most repeated number), and the range (biggest minus smallest). These help you understand your data at a glance.
Example: Data: 3, 5, 5, 7, 9. Median = 5 (middle). Mode = 5 (appears twice). Range = 9−3 = 6.
Remember: Mode = Most Often. Both start with 'Mo' — easy to remember!
Calculate Probability
Probability tells you how likely something is to happen. Write it as a fraction: favorable outcomes ÷ total possible outcomes.
Example: A bag has 3 red and 7 blue marbles. Probability of picking red = 3÷10 = 0.3 or 30%.
Remember: Probability is always between 0 (impossible) and 1 (certain). Think of it like a percentage out of 100!
Worked example
A student rolled a die 5 times and got: 3, 5, 2, 5, 5. Find the mean, mode, and probability of rolling a 5 on a normal die.
- 1Step 1 — Mean: Add the rolls: 3+5+2+5+5 = 20. Divide by 5: 20÷5 = 4. The mean is 4.
- 2Step 2 — Mode: The number 5 appears 3 times — more than any other. The mode is 5.
- 3Step 3 — Probability of rolling a 5: A die has 6 sides. Only one side is 5. So probability = 1/6 ≈ 17%.
Answer: Mean = 4, Mode = 5, Probability of rolling a 5 = 1/6.
The #1 mistake to avoid
Students forget to sort the data before finding the median. Always arrange numbers from smallest to largest first, then pick the middle value!
Key takeaways
- Mean = sum of all values ÷ number of values (the average).
- Median is the middle value, mode is the most frequent, and range is max minus min.
- Probability = favorable outcomes ÷ total outcomes, always between 0 and 1.
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