What is the mode of the heights in the dataset: 74, 82, 78, 72, 73, 78, 72, 78, 81?

• A. 78
• B. 72
• C. 74
• D. 81

Answer: (A)

The mode is the value that appears most often in a dataset. To find it, tally how many times each height shows up. In this set, 78 occurs three times, more than any other height (72 occurs twice; 74, 82, 73, and 81 occur once each). Because 78 is the most frequent, it is the mode. Remember, some datasets have no mode if every value appears once, or multiple modes if several values tie for the highest frequency. Here, there is a single clear mode: 78.