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Chapter Overview
Learning Goals
Learning Goals
Maths
Summary
Box plots are a diagram used to show the spread of data and are a useful way of summarising.
A box plot shows minimums, maximums and quartiles but does not show exact values. See the example below for drawing each of these features on your own box plot.
Box plot feature | Definition | Formula (where n is total frequency) |
Lower quartile (Q1 or LQ) | Value 25% of the way through the data | 4n+1 |
Median (Q2) | Value 50% of the way through the data | 2n+1 |
Upper quartile (Q3 or UQ) | Value 75% of the way through the data | 43(n+1) |
Interquartile range (IQR) | Contains middle 50% of the data | Upper quartile minus lower quartile: Q3−Q1 |
Olivia is collecting data about the ages of her friends' siblings. The answers she collects are 1,1,2,2,3,4,5,5,5,5,7,7,7,7,8. The median of these numbers is 5.
Work out the upper and lower quartiles and the interquartile range.
Lower quartile | Work out the position of Q1: 2n+1=415+1=4 |
Upper quartile | Work out the position of Q3: 23(n+1)=43(15+1)=12 The 12th value is the upper quartile: 7 |
Interquartile range | IQR=7−2=5 |
Median | 5 |
Drawing a box plot involves using all the quantities worked out in the example above.
1. | Draw a scale. |
2. | Mark on the LQ, UQ and median and draw a box with a line where the median is. |
3. | Mark on the maximum and minimum and connect to the box with a line. |
Using the values calculated in example 1, draw a box plot to represent the data.
Box plots are a diagram used to show the spread of data and are a useful way of summarising.
A box plot shows minimums, maximums and quartiles but does not show exact values. See the example below for drawing each of these features on your own box plot.
Box plot feature | Definition | Formula (where n is total frequency) |
Lower quartile (Q1 or LQ) | Value 25% of the way through the data | 4n+1 |
Median (Q2) | Value 50% of the way through the data | 2n+1 |
Upper quartile (Q3 or UQ) | Value 75% of the way through the data | 43(n+1) |
Interquartile range (IQR) | Contains middle 50% of the data | Upper quartile minus lower quartile: Q3−Q1 |
Olivia is collecting data about the ages of her friends' siblings. The answers she collects are 1,1,2,2,3,4,5,5,5,5,7,7,7,7,8. The median of these numbers is 5.
Work out the upper and lower quartiles and the interquartile range.
Lower quartile | Work out the position of Q1: 2n+1=415+1=4 |
Upper quartile | Work out the position of Q3: 23(n+1)=43(15+1)=12 The 12th value is the upper quartile: 7 |
Interquartile range | IQR=7−2=5 |
Median | 5 |
Drawing a box plot involves using all the quantities worked out in the example above.
1. | Draw a scale. |
2. | Mark on the LQ, UQ and median and draw a box with a line where the median is. |
3. | Mark on the maximum and minimum and connect to the box with a line. |
Using the values calculated in example 1, draw a box plot to represent the data.
FAQs
Question: How to draw a box plot?
Answer: To draw a box plot: 1. Draw a scale. 2. Mark on the LQ, UQ and median and draw a box with a line where the median is. 3. Mark on the maximum and minimum and connect to the box with a line.
Question: What is the interquartile range?
Answer: The interquartile range contains middle 50% of the data. It is the lower quartile minus upper quartile.
Question: What is a box plot?
Answer: Box plots are a diagram used to show the spread of data and are a useful way of summarising.
Theory
Exercises
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