Mode
Mode is used to describe the most common value in a dataset. It is a way to
identify the most frequently occurring number or item.
Mode for ungrouped data :
For ungrouped data, we just need to identify the observation that occurs most
times.
How to find the mode for ungrouped data?
Step 1 : Count the occurrences of each value
Determine how many times each unique value appears in the dataset.
Step 2 : Identify the value with the highest frequency
The value that appears most often is the mode.
Example 1: In the dataset {3, 4, 5, 5, 8, 9, 9, 9, 13, 15} find mode.
Solution:
The number 9 appears 3 times, which is more frequent than any other number.
Therefore, the mode of this dataset is 9.
∴ The correct answer is 9.
Example 2: Find the mode of the data 2, 2, 3, 5, 15, 15, 15, 20, 21, 23, 25, 15,
23, 25.
Solution :
Mode = Maximum number of times the number repeated
Mode = Number with the highest frequency,
We know that,
The frequency of data is,
Occurance of 2 in the data set = 2
Occurance of 3 in the data set = 1
Occurance of 5 in the data set = 1
Occurance of 15 in the data set = 4
Occurrence of 20 in the data set = 1
Occurrence of 21 in the data set = 1
Occurrence of 23 in the data set = 2
Occurrence of 25 in the data set = 2
Since, "15" has the highest frequency.
Hence, the mode of the data set is 15.
∴ The correct answer is 15.
Mode for grouped data :
For grouped data, the mode isn't as straightforward to identify as it is for
ungrouped data. In this case, we find the mode by identifying the class with the
highest frequency, known as the modal class.
We then calculate the mode within the modal class using the formula:
Mode = l + [(f1 – f0)/(2f1 – f0 – f2)] x h
Here,
f1 : Frequency of the modal class
f0: Frequency of the class before the modal class
f2: Frequency of the class after the modal class
h: Class width
l: Lower class boundary of the modal class
Now, let's illustrate the calculation of the mode for grouped data using this
formula with a different example.
Example 3: A research team conducted a survey on the number of pets in 20
households in a neighborhood. The results are represented in the frequency
distribution table below. Calculate the mode for the given data.
Number of Pets Household 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6
Number of Households 5 9 3 2 1
Solution :
The table shows that the highest frequency is 9, corresponding to the 2-3 class
interval.
Therefore, the modal class for the given data is 2-3.
The lower limit of modal class, l = 2
Class width, h = 1
Frequency of modal class, f1 = 9
Frequency of class before modal class, f0 = 5
Frequency of class after modal class, f2 = 3
Applying these values to the mode formula, we find:
Mode = l + [(f1 - f0 )/(2f1 - f0 - f2 )] x h
Mode = 2 + [(9 - 5)/(2 × (9) - 5 - 3)] x 1
Mode = 2 + (4/10)
Mode = 2.4
Therefore, the mode of the given grouped data is 2.4.
∴ The correct answer is 2.4
Example 4: A frequency distribution is as follows :
Marks 18- 27- 36- 45- 54- 63- 72-
26 35 44 53 62 71 80
Number of students 5 7 10 15 8 3 2
What is the mode of distribution?
Solution :
We know that,
Mode = l + [(f1 – f0)/(2f1 – f0 – f2)] x h
Where,
l = lower value of the class
f1 = frequency
f0 = frequency before the class
f2 = frequency after the class
h = size of the class
Calculation :
Class (45-53) is the class with the maximum number of students.
So, l = 45, f1 = 15, f0 = 10, f2 = 8, and h = 8
⇒ Mode = 45 + [(15 - 10) / (2 × 15 - 10 - 8)] × 8
⇒ Mode = 45 + 5/12 × 8
⇒ Mode = 45 + 3.33 = 48.33
The Mode is calculated as 48.33
∴ The correct answer is 48.33
Empirical Relationship between Mean, Median and Mode:
The empirical relationship between the mean, median, and mode in statistics is
equal to the difference between 3 times the median and 2 times the mean. I.e.
Mode = 3 Median – 2 Mean.
or
Mean – Mode = 3 (Mean – Median)
Example 5: If the Mean is 21, the Median is 19. Find Mode.
Solution:
Mean = 21
Median = 19
Formula used:
Mean – Mode = 3(Mean – Median)
⇒ 21 – Mode = 3(21 – 19)
⇒ 21 – Mode = 3 × 2
⇒ 21 – Mode = 6
⇒ 21 – 6 = Mode
⇒ 15 = Mode
∴ The correct answer is 15
Example 6: If the mode of a series exceeds its median by 10 then the mode
exceeds the mean by ?
Solution : Mode of a series exceeds its median by 10
Mode = 3 Median - 2 Mean
Mode = Median + 10 —---(1)
Again,
Mode = 3 Median - 2 Mean —----(2)
Equation equation (1) and (2)
⇒ Median + 10 = 3 Median - 2 Mean
⇒ 10 = 3 Median - Median - 2 Mean
⇒ 10 = 2 Median - 2 Mean
⇒ 5 = Median - Mean
⇒ 5 + Mean = Median
So,
Mode = 5 + Mean + 10
⇒ Mean + 15
Mode exceeds the mean by 15.
∴ The correct answer is 15.
Example 7: For certain data, the mode is 6 more than the mean and its
median is 13. What is the mode of that data?
Solution :
The mode is 6 more than the mean and its median is 13
Mode = 3 Median - 2 Mean
⇒ Mode = 3 × 13 - 2 × (Mode - 6)
⇒ Mode = 39 - 2 Mode + 12
Mode = 51/3 = 17
∴ The correct answer is 17.