The following are the masses (in kg) of members in a club: 59, 44, 53, 49, 57, 40, 48, and 50. Calculate the mean mass.

Analyze the question: We need the mean (average) of 8 masses.

Concept: Mean = (sum of all values) ÷ (number of values)

Solution:

Add the masses step by step:

• 59 + 44 = 103
• 103 + 53 = 156
• 156 + 49 = 205
• 205 + 57 = 262
• 262 + 40 = 302
• 302 + 48 = 350
• 350 + 50 = 400

Sum = 400 kg, and there are 8 members.

Mean = 400 ÷ 8 = 50 kg

Answer: Option B (50 kg).

Tip: For mean questions, always count your values first (here, 8) and add carefully in pairs to avoid slips. You can also check by picking a guess (like 50) and adding the deviations: +9, -6, +3, -1, +7, -10, -2, 0 = 0, which confirms 50 is the mean.