Hi! I need help coming up with the proper equation for what I believe is a weighted average calculation. I have a group of 22 items. They are separated into 6 categories by age. The categories are: 1 to 3 days, 4 to 7 days, 8 to 13 days, 14 to 20 days, 21 to 27 days and 28+ days. Each category has, in the same order as listed above, the following number of items, : 5, 7, 5, 1, 0, 4. I need to find the average age of an item in my group. Does the fact that the age categories are not specific integers and/or the fact that each category does not contain a range of identical length keep me from coming up with an applicable equation? If so, can I assign a specific integer for each category and get a calculation using those figures? For example, I could, if needed, simplify the categories to, say 3 days, 7, days, 13 days, 20 days and 30 days. It would skew the true result a little but it may at least enable me to come up with an answer. Thank you!
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Creating the correct word problem equation
- Thread starter Linz
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Linz said:Hi! I need help coming up with the proper equation for what I believe is a weighted average calculation. I have a group of 22 items. They are separated into 6 categories by age. The categories are: 1 to 3 days, 4 to 7 days, 8 to 13 days, 14 to 20 days, 21 to 27 days and 28+ days. Each category has, in the same order as listed above, the following number of items, : 5, 7, 5, 1, 0, 4. I need to find the average age of an item in my group. Does the fact that the age categories are not specific integers and/or the fact that each category does not contain a range of identical length keep me from coming up with an applicable equation? If so, can I assign a specific integer for each category and get a calculation using those figures? For example, I could, if needed, simplify the categories to, say 3 days, 7, days, 13 days, 20 days and 30 days. It would skew the true result a little but it may at least enable me to come up with an answer. Thank you!
You are thinking in the corect direction.
If I were to do the problem - I would take an average of the span i.e. 2 days, 5.5 days etc. However we would have problem at the last group where it is 28+ days. Is there an upper-limit to that span?
One problem with age-weighted average is that older specimens get more importance than the younger one. Is there a physical reason for such "discrimination"? Think about that carefully!