Mean/Average Word Problem

[engee]

The average height for the five players in a basketball team is 1.82m. The mean height of these players and the first reserve is 1.79m. How tall is the reserve?
This is what I am thinking I should do, but I am not sure (1.82 + r) / 2 = 1.79 solve for r....r=1.76m???

 

[tkhunny]

No good. Why would the sixh player have as much influence as all five previous players?

Total height of Starters: 1.82m * 5 = 9.10m

Average of 6 players: \(\displaystyle \frac{9.10m + player6}{6}=1.79m\)

Feel free to explore, rather than guess.

Mean height of five players is (h1 + h2 + h3 + h4 + h5)/5

Mean height of six players is (h1 + h2 + h3 + h4 + h5 + h6)/6

It gets pretty obvious when you just spell it out!