AVERAGE

Average = (Sum of Observations) ÷ (Number of Observations)

1. Properties of Average
• If every number in a set is increased by the same value k, the average also increases by k.
• If every number is decreased by k, the average decreases by k.
• If every number is multiplied by k, the average is also multiplied by k.
• If every number is divided by k (k ≠ 0), the average is also divided by k.
• The average always lies between the smallest and the largest observation.
• Average of identical numbers is the number itself (e.g., average of 7, 7, 7 is 7).

2. Important Formulas
(a) First n natural numbers
Natural numbers: 1, 2, 3, …, n
Sum = n(n+1)/2 | Average = (n+1)/2
(b) First n even natural numbers
Even numbers: 2, 4, 6, …, 2n
Sum = n(n+1) | Average = (n+1)
(c) First n odd natural numbers
Odd numbers: 1, 3, 5, …, (2n−1)
Sum = n² | Average = n
(d) Squares of first n natural numbers
Sum = n(n+1)(2n+1)/6 | Average = (n+1)(2n+1)/6
(e) Cubes of first n natural numbers
Sum = [n(n+1)/2]² | Average = n(n+1)²/4

(f) Consecutive numbers (Arithmetic Progression)

For any set of consecutive numbers (or numbers in AP):
Average = (First term + Last term) / 2
Example: Average of 11, 12, 13, …, 20 = (11+20)/2 = 15.5
3. Average Speed
Average Speed = Total Distance ÷ Total Time
Case 1: If a body travels equal distances at speeds x and y:
Average Speed = 2xy / (x + y) (Harmonic Mean)
Case 2: If a body travels three equal distances at speeds x, y, z:
Average Speed = 3xyz / (xy + yz + zx)
Case 3: If a body travels for equal time intervals at speeds x and y:
Average Speed = (x + y) / 2 (Arithmetic Mean)

4. Replacement
Example: In a group of 8 people, the average weight increases by 2 kg when a 50 kg person is replaced
by a new person. New person's weight = 50 + 8 × 2 = 66 kg.

5. Age-Related Average
• If average age of a group remains the same after a few years, total age increases evenly —
useful for relating present and future ages.
• After t years, every member's age increases by t, so the average also increases by t.
• If average age is A now, then t years ago it was (A − t) and t years later it will be (A + t).

Practice Questions
Q1. Find the average of the first 10 natural numbers.
Use formula: Average of first n natural numbers = (n+1)/2.
Here n = 10, so Average = (10+1)/2 = 11/2 = 5.5.
Q2. What is the average of the first 7 even natural numbers?
Average of first n even numbers = (n+1) = 7+1 = 8.
Q3. Find the average of the first 9 odd natural numbers.
Average of first n odd natural numbers = n.
Here n = 9, so average = 9.
Q4. The average of 5 numbers is 27. If one number is excluded, the average becomes 25. Find the
excluded number.
Sum of 5 numbers = 5 × 27 = 135.
Sum of remaining 4 numbers = 4 × 25 = 100.
Excluded number = 135 − 100 = 35.
Q5. Find the average of all even numbers between 11 and 21.
 Numbers: 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 (consecutive even, in AP).
Average = (First + Last)/2 = (12+20)/2 = 16.
Q6. Average of 6 numbers is 8. What must the 7th number be so the new average becomes 10?
Sum of 6 numbers = 48. Required sum of 7 numbers = 7 × 10 = 70.
7th number = 70 − 48 = 22.
Q7. Average age of 30 students is 14 years. If teacher's age is included, average becomes 15 years. Find
teacher's age.
Increase in total = 31 × 15 − 30 × 14 = 465 − 420 = 45.
Teacher's age = 45 years.
Q8. The average of 10 numbers is 23. If each number is increased by 4, what is the new average?
Property: when each number increases by k, the average increases by k.
New average = 23 + 4 = 27.
Q9. Average of 5 numbers is 20. If each number is multiplied by 3, new average is?
Multiplying each number by k multiplies the average by k.
New average = 20 × 3 = 60.
Q10. Find the average of 25, 30, 35, 40, 45.
Numbers are in AP. Average = (First + Last)/2 = (25+45)/2 = 35.
Q11. The average of three numbers is 14. The first two numbers are 10 and 14. Find the third number.
Sum = 3 × 14 = 42. Third number = 42 − 10 − 14 = 18.
Q12. If the average of 5 consecutive natural numbers is 17, find the smallest number.
For 5 consecutive numbers, average = middle number = 17.
Numbers: 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. Smallest = 15.
Q13. Average weight of 4 men is 60 kg. A 5th man joins, raising the average to 62 kg. Weight of the new
man?
New total = 5 × 62 = 310. Old total = 4 × 60 = 240.
New man = 310 − 240 = 70 kg.
Q14. Find the average of all prime numbers between 30 and 50.
Primes between 30 and 50: 31, 37, 41, 43, 47.
Q15. Average of 11 results is 50. Average of first 6 is 49 and last 6 is 52. Find the 6th result.
Q16. A train travels 60 km at 30 km/h and another 60 km at 60 km/h. Find its average speed.
Equal distances, so use HM: 2xy/(x+y) = 2·30·60/(30+60) = 3600/90 = 40 km/h.
Q17. A man covers half his journey at 10 km/h and the other half at 15 km/h. Find the average speed.
Equal distances → HM = 2·10·15/(10+15) = 300/25 = 12 km/h.
Q18. Average age of a class of 30 students is 14. If 5 new students with average age 12 join, find the new
average.
Combined Avg = (n₁a + n₂b)/(n₁+n₂) = (30·14 + 5·12)/(30+5)
 = (420 + 60)/35 = 480/35 = 13.70 years
Q19. Average of 9 observations is 35. If average of first 5 is 32 and last 5 is 38, find the 5th observation.
Q20. The average marks of 4 subjects is 60. If a 5th subject is added with 70 marks, find the new
average.
Q21. Average age of husband and wife was 23 years at marriage. After 5 years they have a 1-year-old
child. What is the present average age of the family?
Q22. Average of 50 numbers is 38. If 45 and 55 are excluded, find the average of the remaining 48
numbers.
Q23. The mean of 9 observations is 45. If the mean of the first 5 is 42 and that of the last 5 is 48, find the
5th observation.
Q24. A cricketer has an average of 36 runs in 10 innings. How many runs must he score in his 11th
innings to raise his average to 38?
Required total after 11 innings = 11 × 38 = 418.
Current total = 10 × 36 = 360.
Runs needed = 418 − 360 = 58.
Q25. Average of 6 numbers is 30. If first number is doubled, average becomes 35. Find the first number.
Increase in total = 6 × (35 − 30) = 30.
Doubling a number x adds x to the total. So x = 30.
Q26. Average of 10 numbers is calculated as 15. Later it is found that one number, 36, was wrongly read
as 26. Find the correct average.
Q27. The average of 7 consecutive odd numbers is 25. Find the largest of them.
Q28. Average weight of 25 students is 50 kg. If teacher's weight is included, average becomes 51 kg. Find
teacher's weight.
Q29. The average of first 50 natural numbers is?
Q30. Average of squares of first 10 natural numbers?
Q31. A batsman in his 17th innings makes a score of 85 and thereby increases his average by 3. Find his
average after the 17th innings.
Solution:
Let average after 17 innings = x. Then average after 16 innings = x − 3.
Total after 17 = 17x; Total after 16 = 16(x − 3).
Difference = 17th innings score: 17x − 16(x − 3) = 85.
x + 48 = 85 → x = 37.
Q32. Average of 20 numbers is 0. Of them, at most how many may be greater than zero?
Q33. Average of 11 numbers is 10.9. If the average of first 6 is 10.5 and that of last 6 is 11.4, find the 6th
number.
Q34. A library has an average of 510 visitors on Sundays and 240 on other days. Find the average
number of visitors per day in a month of 30 days beginning with a Sunday.
Q35. The average of 8 readings is 24.2. Later, two readings 25 and 27 are found to be misread as 35 and
17. Find the correct average.
Q36. The average weight of A, B, C is 45 kg. If D joins, the average becomes 40 kg. If another man E
whose weight is 3 kg more than D replaces A, the average of B, C, D, E becomes 38 kg. Find A's weight.
Q37. The average monthly salary of 20 workers in an office is Rs 1500. If the manager's salary is added,
the average becomes Rs 1640. What is the manager's monthly salary?
Q38. Find the average of first 97 natural numbers.
Q39. The average weight of 8 person's increases by 2.5 kg when a new person comes in place of one of
them weighing 65 kg. What might be the weight of the new person?
Q40. In the first 10 overs of a cricket game, the run rate was only 3.2. What should be the run rate in the
remaining 40 overs to reach the target of 282 runs?

QUICK FORMULA SHEET

Heading Formula

Basic Average Sum / Number of items

First n natural numbers (n + 1) / 2

First n even numbers n+1

First n odd numbers n

Squares of first n natural no (n+1)(2n+1) / 6

Cubes of first n natural number n(n+1)² / 4

Numbers in AP (First + Last) / 2

Avg speed (equal distance) 2xy / (x + y)

Avg speed (equal time) (x + y) / 2

Three equal distances 3xyz / (xy + yz + zx)

Combined of two groups (n₁a + n₂b) / (n₁ + n₂)