Final answer:
To calculate the mean of a data set, add up all the data points and divide by the total number of data points.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the mean of a data set, you need to add up all the data points and then divide by the total number of data points. This gives you the average value of the data set. For example, if you have a data set of [2, 4, 6, 8], you would add up all the values (2 + 4 + 6 + 8 = 20) and then divide by the total number of values (4), giving you a mean of 5.