Mode

Definition

Mode is the value that appears most frequently in a data set. It is a measure of central tendency used to identify the most common value among a collection of numbers.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. A data set can have one mode, more than one mode, or no mode at all if no number repeats.
2. The mode is the only measure of central tendency that can be used with nominal data.
3. In a symmetrical distribution, the mode coincides with the mean and median.
4. When data has multiple modes, it is called multimodal; when it has two modes, it is bimodal.
5. The mode may not accurately represent the center of a skewed distribution.

Review Questions

• What makes the mode different from mean and median?
• Can a data set have more than one mode? Provide an example.
• How does the presence of multiple modes affect the interpretation of data?

Related terms

Mean:

The average value of a data set, calculated by dividing the sum of all values by the number of values.

Median:

The middle value in a sorted list of numbers, which divides the data into two equal halves.

Range:

The difference between the highest and lowest values in a data set.