Math Through Sports
Add it up, share it out: averages
5 min · An average spreads a pile of numbers out evenly.
- Averages
The stat
An average spreads a pile of numbers out evenly.
Learn the number
A basketball player scores a different number of points every game. An average turns all those games into one typical number.
You add every score together, then share the total out evenly between the games.
Sharing out evenly means dividing by how many games there were.
Read the stat
A player scores 22, 31, 19, 28 and 25 points in five games.
- Add them: 22 + 31 = 53.
- 53 + 19 = 72.
- 72 + 28 = 100, and 100 + 25 = 125.
- There were 5 games, so share 125 between 5: 125 ÷ 5 = 25.
The average is 25 points per game.
Your turn
A player scores 10, 14 and 12 points in three games. What is the average?
Explain what it means
The player did not score 25 in any single one of those games — they scored 22, 31, 19, 28 and 25. The average is a summary of the whole set, not a score anyone actually had to make.
Make a prediction
Write down what you think the player will score next game. An average of 25 makes something near 25 a good guess.
Review what happened
If they score 31, was your guess wrong? Look back at the list: 31 already appears in it. One game above the average is completely normal.
Check your understanding
0 of 3 correct
Every question has to be right for this lesson to count as complete. Miss one and you can try it again.