How do you calculate the mean (average) of a set of numbers?

To calculate the mean (or average) of a set of numbers, you take the sum of all the numbers in the set and divide that total by how many numbers there are. This method provides a measure that summarizes the data set with a single value that represents the center of the data.

For instance, if you have the numbers 2, 4, and 6, you first add them together to get a sum of 12. Since there are three numbers in this set, you then divide 12 by 3, which gives you a mean of 4. This process ensures that all numbers in the set are considered in determining the average value.

The other options describe incorrect calculations or methods that do not yield the mean. For example, multiplying all numbers does not provide a measure of central tendency, and simply adding the largest and smallest numbers ignores the rest of the set. Each of these alternatives fails to truly reflect the average of the numbers involved.