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JJ.2 Find the mode

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What is the mode?

Mode is the number or value that appears most often in a set of data. A data set can have one mode, more than one mode, or no mode at all if no numbers repeat.

Example:
  • Data set: 3, 5, 3, 8, 9
  • The number 3 appears more times than the others.
  • Mode: 3
Note

The mode tells you the most common or frequent value in a group. It is useful for understanding what happens the most.

How do you find the mode?

To find the mode, look through the data and count how many times each value appears. The value with the greatest frequency is the mode.

Steps:
  • Write or review all the numbers in the data set.
  • Count how many times each number appears.
  • Identify the number that shows up the most.
  • That number is the mode.
Note

You do not need to order the numbers to find the mode, but organizing them can make counting easier.

Data sets with more than one mode

Sometimes a data set has more than one number that appears most often. When this happens, the data set is called multimodal, meaning it has two or more modes.

Example:
  • Data set: 4, 6, 4, 7, 6, 8
  • The numbers 4 and 6 each appear twice.
  • Modes: 4 and 6
Note

If two or more numbers tie for the highest frequency, they are all modes. A data set can have two modes or even several.

Data sets with no mode

A data set has no mode when no value repeats. Since no number appears more than once, there is no most frequent value.

Example:
  • Data set: 2, 5, 7, 9
  • Each number appears only once.
  • Mode: none
Note

It is correct and acceptable to say a data set has no mode. Not every set has a most common value.

Using mode to understand data

The mode helps you see what occurs most often in real-life situations, such as favorite choices, common results, or repeated measurements.

Examples:
  • Most common shoe size in a class
  • Most frequently chosen lunch item
  • Most repeated score on a quiz
Note

Mode is especially useful when you want to identify trends or patterns in a group of people or items.