Handling Data 3
2 marks · NormalA football coach says, “The mean number of goals scored this season is 2, but the mode is 0.”
Explain, using the meanings of mean and mode, what this tells you about the football team’s performance.
Work this out on paper, then compare with the answer and worked solution below. With a free account you can submit written answers for marking.
Show answer
Although the team averages 2 goals a game, they most often score 0 goals, so they have many scoreless games.
Must show: Recognized that they score 0 most often and explanation of contrast with mean
Also accept: They usually do not score goals in most games, but a few games with higher goals increased their mean.
Common mistakes: Confusing mean and mode roles
Show mark scheme and worked solution
Marking points
B1 · 1 mark · Identifies that mode = 0 means 0 goals is the most common result.
B2 · 1 mark · Relates this to the mean by noting a few high scores make the mean higher than the mode.
Worked solution
The mode of 0 means the team scored 0 in more matches than any other score (so most matches = 0 goals).
The mean of 2 shows that, despite many games with no goals, some games had several goals (high enough to bring the mean up to 2).