Sure, let's find the mean of the numbers given: 24, 29, 30, 21, and 26.
1. Sum of the numbers: First, we add all the numbers together.
[tex]\[
24 + 29 + 30 + 21 + 26 = 130
\][/tex]
2. Number of elements: Next, we count the total number of elements in the list, which are 5 numbers.
3. Calculate the mean: To find the mean, we divide the sum of the numbers by the total number of elements.
[tex]\[
\text{Mean} = \frac{130}{5} = 26
\][/tex]
4. Select the correct answer: Looking at the answer choices provided:
- A) 23
- B) 24
- C) 25
- D) 26
The correct answer is D) 26.
So, the answer is:
[tex]\[
\boxed{26}
\][/tex]