1. **State the problem:** We want to find the average of a set of numbers. 2. **Formula for average:** The average (mean) of a set of numbers is given by $$\text{Average} = \frac{\text{Sum of all items}}{\text{Number of items in the set}}$$ 3. **Explanation:** To find the average, you add all the numbers together to get the sum. 4. Then, you divide this sum by the total count of numbers in the set. 5. **Important:** The average is not found by dividing by the smallest number, the largest number, or 2, but specifically by the number of items in the set. 6. **Final answer:** The average is found by dividing the sum of all items by **the number of items in the set**.