Lesson

The mode is the value that appears most frequently in a data set. It is helpful in understanding the most common outcome or preference in a given situation.

Practice Question #1

Which measure of central tendency represents the most frequently occurring value in a data set?

Options

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Terms

Mode:
The value that appears most frequently in a data set.

Practice Question #2

In a data set with the values {2, 4, 4, 6, 8}, what is the mode?

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Do Not Confuse With

Mean:
The mean is the average value of a data set.
Median:
The median is the middle value in a data set.

Practice Question #3

What is the mode of the following data set: 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17?

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Historical Example

In the early 1900s, a study was conducted on the shoe sizes of a large population. The mode was found to be size 9, indicating that size 9 was the most common shoe size in the population. This information was used by shoe manufacturers to produce more size 9 shoes to meet the demand.

Practice Question #4

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Rhyme

When you need to find the mode, look for the value that's most bestowed. In a data set, it's the star, the most frequent value by far.

Practice Question #5

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Formulas to Remember

Mode: The mode is the value that appears most frequently in a data set.

Formula Examples

Consider the following data set: 2, 3, 4, 4, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 8 1. Count the frequency of each value in the data set. 2: 1 3: 1 4: 2 5: 1 6: 3 7: 1 8: 1 2. Identify the value with the highest frequency. In this case, the value 6 has the highest frequency (3). 3. The mode of the data set is 6.

Pitfalls to Remember

No mode:
There may be no mode if no value appears more than once in the data set.
Multiple modes:
A data set can have more than one mode if multiple values have the same highest frequency.

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