# Averages.

• Dec 1st 2011, 05:27 AM
cmpprice
Averages.
For the life of me I'm unable to locate a way to calculate this issue.. I'm trying to take the average of 3 numbers, however each number has more or less weight on the total average than the other 2 numbers.. For example.

(Number 1) 50% total weight
(Number 2) 37.5% total weight
(Number 3) 12.5% total weight
All equaling 1 total average. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!
• Dec 1st 2011, 07:37 AM
Soroban
Re: An easy question? Averages.
Hello, cmpprice!

Quote:

I'm trying to take the average of 3 numbers. .However each number
has more or less weight on the total average than the other 2 numbers.

For example:

Number 1: 50% total weight
Number 2: 37.5% total weight
Number 3: 12.5% total weight

All equaling one total average.

Look at it this way:

. . $\begin{array}{cccccc}\text{Number} & \text{Weight} \\ X & 50\% &=& \frac{4}{8} \\ \\[-3mm] Y & 37.5\% &=& \frac{3}{8} \\ \\[-3mm] Z & 12.5\% &=& \frac{1}{8} \end{array}$

Their weights are in the ratio . $X:Y:Z \:=\:4:3:1$

Their average is: . $\dfrac{4X + 3Y + Z}{8}$

• Jan 1st 2012, 04:28 PM
olivianewton
Re: An easy question? Averages.
I am fix , cannot get this.
• Jan 3rd 2012, 08:15 AM
okokjae
Re: Averages.
Quote:

Originally Posted by cmpprice
For the life of me I'm unable to locate a way to calculate this issue.. I'm trying to take the average of 3 numbers, however each number has more or less weight on the total average than the other 2 numbers.. For example.

(Number 1) 50% total weight
(Number 2) 37.5% total weight
(Number 3) 12.5% total weight
All equaling 1 total average. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

Hello.

There are 3 different people, one with 50% weight, 37.5% weight, and 12.5% weight. For this example, the 50% weight person is X, 37.5 weight person is W, and 12.5% person is U. So we have 50%, X. 37.5% ,W. 12.5% U.

Now we know that 50% = 50/100 = 1/2 = 4/8
37.5% = 3/8
12.5% = 1/8, You can divide 3/8 by 3.

Now lets refer back to X, W, and U. For simple purposes, lets give them values. X = 100, W = 150, and U = 200.

Now to find the average... [ (4/8)100 + (3/8)150 + (1/8)200 ]/3 = y
You divide everything by 3, because you're trying to find the average of all three people.
Or you can use, [ (4/8)X + (3/8)W + (1/2)U ]/3 = Y
• Jan 4th 2012, 04:23 AM
HallsofIvy
Re: Averages.
Or, simply 0.50X+ 0.375Y+ 0.125Z.