Skip to content

CA Foundation · Quantitative Aptitude · Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion

The harmonic mean of the three observations 2, 3 and 6 is:

The harmonic mean is 3. It equals the number of observations divided by the sum of their reciprocals. Here the reciprocals 1/2, 1/3 and 1/6 add up to exactly 1, so 3 divided by 1 gives 3. The arithmetic mean, 3.67, is a different average.

  1. A3.67
  2. B3Correct
  3. C3.30
  4. D4

Explanation

HM = n / Σ(1/x) = 3 / (1/2 + 1/3 + 1/6) = 3 / 1 = 3. The value 3.67 is the arithmetic mean (11/3), and 3.30 is the geometric mean (∛36). Both are different averages, not the harmonic mean.

Did you get it right without looking?

One question tells you little. A timed set on Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion shows your real accuracy, how long you take and where you lose marks.

Practise Measures of Central Tendency and DispersionFree diagnostic mock

More Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion questions