a mean length of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a mean length of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing statistical measures, particularly in contexts involving averages or typical values of a set of data. Example: "The study reported a mean length of 15 centimeters for the samples collected."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

These contigs were further assembled into a total of 79,705 unigenes with a mean length of 765 bp.

Nature

All the contigs encoding ORFs were further assembled using the software CAP3, resulting in 57,313 unitranscripts with a mean length of 2,637 bp (Table 1).

Nature

Tifrunner, which produced 1,263,111 Moleculo reads with a mean length of 4,547 bases and an N50 length of 6,137 bases, providing 2.3× genome coverage.

Nature

This assembly resulted in 224,496 contigs, with a mean length of 1,213 bp, and a transcript sum of 272 Mb.

Nature

The thrombus was mobile in 83% with a mean length of 4.1 mm.

Annals of Intensive Care

All patients were discharged from the ICU with a mean length of stay of 14 days.

Annals of Intensive Care

Operative data revealed a mean estimated blood loss of 635 ml, an average operative time of 9 hours, and a mean length of hospital stay of 15 days.

Duke University

The retrieved corpus now consisted of 5825 lists of tags, with a mean length of 62.27 tags.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

Two-thirds (41/63) of deaths occurred in ICU with a mean length of ICU stay of 9 ± 9 days.

Annals of Intensive Care

The T. turnerae genome encodes 30 CRISPR spacers with a mean length of 34 nucleotides.

Plosone

Prison inmates have a mean length of stay of 3 y [15].

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When reporting statistical data, use "a mean length of" to clearly indicate an average measurement. Ensure that the units of measurement (e.g., cm, inches, bp) are specified for clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "a mean length of" when the median (middle value) is more representative of the data due to outliers. Consider the distribution of your data before choosing the appropriate measure of central tendency.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a mean length of" functions as a descriptor, providing a statistical measure of average length. As Ludwig indicates, it's commonly used to specify the average dimension of objects or intervals in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

100%

Less common in

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a mean length of" is a common and grammatically correct phrase used to describe the average length within a set of data. As confirmed by Ludwig, this phrase is particularly prevalent in scientific and academic writing. When using this phrase, it's essential to provide units of measurement and consider whether the mean is the most appropriate measure of central tendency, especially when outliers are present. Alternatives include "average length of" and "typical length of". Overall, using "a mean length of" effectively communicates quantitative information clearly and concisely.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

average length of

Replaces "mean" with "average", a synonym indicating a typical value.

typical length of

Substitutes "mean" with "typical", emphasizing the most common length.

mean duration of

Similar to "average duration of" but retains "mean".

average duration of

Changes "length" to "duration", appropriate when measuring time instead of spatial extent.

average extent of

Uses "extent" instead of "length", suitable for non-linear measurements.

typical extent of

Combines "typical" with "extent", highlighting the most common spread or range.

mean span of

Similar to "average span of" but maintains "mean".

average span of

Replaces "length" with "span", appropriate for measurements across a distance.

mean height of

Keeps "mean" while specifying "height".

average height of

Specifies "height" instead of a generic "length", useful for vertical measurements.

FAQs

How is "a mean length of" used in scientific writing?

In scientific writing, "a mean length of" is used to report the average length of a set of measurements, such as the length of DNA fragments, cells, or other biological structures. It's crucial to include the standard deviation or standard error to provide context about the data's variability.

What are some alternatives to "a mean length of"?

You can use alternatives like "average length of" or "typical length of" depending on the context. These phrases convey a similar meaning but may be more appropriate in certain situations.

When should I use "a mean length of" instead of "total length of"?

"A mean length of" should be used when you are reporting the average length from multiple measurements. "Total length of" is appropriate when describing the combined length of something, such as the "total length of" a polymer chain.

Is it necessary to include units when using "a mean length of"?

Yes, it's crucial to include the units of measurement (e.g., mm, cm, inches, bp) for clarity and to avoid ambiguity. For example, "The fiber had a mean length of 25 mm" is much clearer than "The fiber had a mean length of 25".