What is the mean (arithmetic average) of the data set 17, 24, 26, 13?

• A. $20$
• B. $24$
• C. $22$
• D. $17$

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the data set given: 17, 24, 26, and 13.
2. Recall that the mean (arithmetic average) is calculated by summing all the data points and then dividing by the number of data points.
3. Calculate the sum of the data points: \(17 + 24 + 26 + 13\).
4. Count the number of data points, which is 4 in this case.
5. Use the formula for the mean: \(\text{Mean} = \frac{\text{Sum of data points}}{\text{Number of data points}} = \frac{17 + 24 + 26 + 13}{4}\).