How does the AVERAGE function handle text data?

Conditions

• The dataset contains a mix of numeric and text data.
• The function is applied to a range or list of values.

Reasoning, step by step

1. Input the AVERAGE function with the desired range.
2. The function scans the range for numeric values.
3. Text entries are skipped and not included in the sum or count.
4. The average is calculated based solely on the numeric values found.

Example

The function hint window displays AVERAGE(value1, [value2, ...]), with the summary 'Returns the numerical average value in the dataset, ignoring text.'

Common misconceptions

• Believing that text characters are converted to zero and included in the average calculation.
• Thinking that the presence of text causes an error; the function simply ignores it.

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Explore next

• How to use the AVERAGE function in Google Sheets to calculate the average of a row of data?
• What is the AVERAGE function syntax?