Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics
Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics
6th Edition
ISBN: 9781506333830
Author: Neil J. Salkind
Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc
Question
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Chapter 3, Problem 1TP
To determine

To explain: The reason for range to be most imprecise measure of variability being the most convenient measure of dispersion and when will it be used.

Expert Solution & Answer
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Explanation of Solution

The range is the most precise measure of dispersion. It tells the difference between the lowest and highest value in the data set.

The formula to calculate range is,

r=hl

Where

  • r is the range.
  •  h is the highest score in data set.
  •  l is the lowest score in data set.

For example, for set of scores 100, 50, 75, 88, 22, the range is,

10022=78

In a set of 1,000 numbers, range is calculated by subtraction of highest and lowest score, that’s why range is the convenient measure of dispersion.

Since, range tells about how far the scores are in data set, it does not tell about how much individual score differs from one another, so being a convenient measure of variability, yet it is imprecise measure.

Thus, the range tells about the difference of highest and lowest value in the distribution of data set. Also, it does not tell about the scores that fall between the highest and lowest values. Hence, it is not precise. It can be used when a precise estimate of variability is not required.

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