What statistical term describes the average value of a set of numbers?

The average value of a set of numbers is referred to as the mean. The mean is calculated by adding all the numbers in the set together and then dividing that sum by the total number of values in the set. This measure provides a central value that represents all the data points, making it a fundamental concept in statistics for understanding and analyzing data.

In contrast, the median is the middle value of a dataset when it is ordered from smallest to largest and is not affected by outliers. The mode refers to the most frequently occurring value in a dataset and can exist in sets with no repetitions or multiple modes. The range defines the difference between the highest and lowest values in the dataset, offering insight into the spread of the data but not the central tendency. Thus, the definition and application of the mean make it the appropriate choice for describing the average value.