Harmonic Mean Calculator
The harmonic mean is the correct average for speeds, rates and ratios — not the ordinary average. Enter your values separated by commas to get the harmonic mean with full reciprocal steps, ideal for average-speed and rate problems.
How to use
- Type your values (speeds, rates or prices) separated by commas in the box.
- The calculator finds the reciprocal of each value and averages those reciprocals.
- The final result is n ÷ (sum of reciprocals) — with each step shown below.
Good to know
- Use the harmonic mean for average speed over equal distances — the simple average gives the wrong answer there.
- It also works for rates like km per litre, but only when the values being averaged are rates.
- All values must be positive numbers; empty or zero entries are ignored.
Note: The average speed of two speeds over equal distances is not the arithmetic mean, it is the harmonic mean — for example the average speed of 40 and 60 is 48, not 50.