Find the mean deviation of assets of numbers: 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19.

Analyze the question: We need the mean deviation of the data set 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. Mean deviation is the average of the absolute distances of each value from the mean.

Concept: Mean deviation = Σ|x − x̄| / n

Step 1: Find the mean x̄ = (14 + 15 + 16 + 17 + 18 + 19) / 6 = 99 / 6 = 16.5

Step 2: Find each absolute deviation

• |14 − 16.5| = 2.5
• |15 − 16.5| = 1.5
• |16 − 16.5| = 0.5
• |17 − 16.5| = 0.5
• |18 − 16.5| = 1.5
• |19 − 16.5| = 2.5

Step 3: Sum the deviations 2.5 + 1.5 + 0.5 + 0.5 + 1.5 + 2.5 = 9

Step 4: Divide by n Mean deviation = 9 / 6 = 1.5

Tip: For a list of consecutive numbers, the deviations are symmetric around the mean, so you only need to calculate half of them and double the result. Always use absolute values, because without them the deviations would sum to zero.