What is the harmonic mean?

1 Answer
Emily
May 17, 2018

The harmonic mean is a type of average represented by the following formula.

#H=n/(1/x_1+1/x^2...+1/x_n)#.

Explanation:

The harmonic mean is a specific type of average used when calculating averages of units or rates, such as speed speed. It is different than the arithmetic mean and is always lower.

The formula is:

#H=n/(1/x_1+1/x^2...+1/x_n)#

n represents the number of terms in the data set. x_1 represents the first value in the set.

For example, take the following problem.

What is the harmonic mean of 2,4,5,8,10?

H=5/(1/2+1/4+1/5+1/8+1/10)

H=5/(1.175)

H=4.255

Related questions
See all questions in Measures of Center
Impact of this question
4779 views around the world
You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License