AVERAGE function in Google Sheets - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the AVERAGE function do in Google Sheets?

The AVERAGE function calculates the mean (average) of a group of numbers by adding them together and dividing by how many numbers there are.

beginner

How do you write the AVERAGE function to find the average of numbers in cells A1 to A5?

You write: =AVERAGE(A1:A5). This tells Google Sheets to calculate the average of all numbers in cells from A1 through A5.

beginner

What happens if some cells in the range used in AVERAGE are empty or contain text?

Empty cells or cells with text are ignored by the AVERAGE function. It only calculates the average of the numeric values.

intermediate

Can the AVERAGE function handle numbers and cell references mixed together? For example, =AVERAGE(10, A1, 20)

Yes! The AVERAGE function can take numbers, cell references, or ranges mixed together. It averages all the numeric values provided.

intermediate

What is the difference between AVERAGE and MEDIAN functions?

AVERAGE adds all numbers and divides by count, giving the mean. MEDIAN finds the middle number when all numbers are sorted. MEDIAN is less affected by very high or low numbers.

What formula calculates the average of numbers in cells B2 to B6?

A =MEDIAN(B2:B6)

B =SUM(B2:B6)

C =AVERAGE(B2:B6)

D =COUNT(B2:B6)

The AVERAGE function calculates the mean of the numbers in the specified range.

If cells A1=5, A2=10, A3 is empty, what does =AVERAGE(A1:A3) return?

A 10

B 5

C Error

D 7.5

Empty cells are ignored, so average is (5 + 10) / 2 = 7.5.

Which of these is NOT true about the AVERAGE function?

A It counts empty cells as zero in the average.

B It can average numbers and cell references together.

C It ignores text values in the range.

D It divides the sum of numbers by the count of numeric values.

Empty cells are ignored, not counted as zero.

What will =AVERAGE(4, 8, 12) return?

A 8

B 12

C 4

D 24

The average is (4 + 8 + 12) / 3 = 8.

Why might you choose MEDIAN over AVERAGE?

A To add all numbers together.

B To find the middle value when data has outliers.

C To count how many numbers there are.

D To multiply numbers.

MEDIAN is better when data has very high or low values that skew the average.

Explain how the AVERAGE function works and how to use it with a range of cells.

Think about how you find the average of test scores on paper.

Describe what happens when the AVERAGE function encounters empty cells or text in the range.

Consider what you do if some answers are missing when calculating an average.