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Secondary 3 · Mathematics
Statistics · Statistics

Statistical Parameters

Before you start, make sure you know: Tables (Secondary Year 2 (first cycle))
Before you start, make sure you know: Statistical parameters (Secondary Year 2 (first cycle))

Wilkin and Starling play basketball at their high school, and both average 20 points per game. Wilkin almost always scores between 19 and 21. Starling alternates games of 5 points with games of 35. Who would you put in for the last quarter? A single number doesn't tell the whole story: we need to know where the center of the data is and how spread out it is.

Mean, median, and mode

Change the data and see where the mean and the median land:

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In a study on social media use, a group of teenagers was asked how many hours a day they spend watching videos on TikTok. The results obtained are:…

In a study on social media use, a group of teenagers was asked how many hours a day they spend watching videos on TikTok. The results obtained are:

$2, 3, 1, 4, 2, 3, 2, 5, 2, 1$

Identify the population of the study and calculate the mode of the hours of use.

Solve
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Seven friends compare the number of unread messages they have on their messaging app. The data are as follows: $12, 15, 8, 20, 15, 14, 11$ Calculate the arithmetic mean…

Seven friends compare the number of unread messages they have on their messaging app. The data are as follows:

$12, 15, 8, 20, 15, 14, 11$

Calculate the arithmetic mean ($\bar{x}$) of the number of unread messages for this group.

Solve
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During a training week, an athlete recorded the kilometers she ran each day to prepare for a race: $5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 21$ Find the median ($Me$) of the distance…

During a training week, an athlete recorded the kilometers she ran each day to prepare for a race:

$5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 21$

Find the median ($Me$) of the distance covered. What does this value mean in relation to the total number of days trained?

Solve

Parameters with frequency tables

When data repeat a lot, they are organized in a table. Each value $x_i$ counts as many times as its absolute frequency $f_i$ indicates, and $N=\sum f_i$ is the total number of data values.

$$\bar{x} = \frac{\sum x_i f_i}{N}$$

Data grouped in intervals

If the data come in intervals, we no longer know the exact values. We use the class mark $x_i$, which is the midpoint of the interval: $x_i=\dfrac{L_i+L_s}{2}$. With it the mean is calculated just as before, and the result is an approximation.

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A teacher organised the number of spelling mistakes made by their students in the last dictation in a frequency table: | Mistakes ($x_i$) | No. of students ($f_i$) | |…

A teacher organised the number of spelling mistakes made by their students in the last dictation in a frequency table:

Mistakes ($x_i$) No. of students ($f_i$)
$0$ $8$
$1$ $12$
$2$ $6$
$3$ $4$

Calculate the mean number of mistakes in the class using the data from the table.

Solve
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A group of 20 teenagers recorded how many times they went to the cinema in the last six months. The data obtained are as follows:…

A group of 20 teenagers recorded how many times they went to the cinema in the last six months. The data obtained are as follows:

$2, 3, 0, 1, 5, 3, 2, 1, 0, 0, 2, 4, 3, 2, 1, 1, 6, 2, 0, 3$

Organise these data into a frequency table and calculate the measures of central tendency: the arithmetic mean ($\bar{x}$), the median ($Me$) and the mode ($Mo$). Which of them do you consider best represents the group?

Solve
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An e-sports club recorded the time (in minutes) taken by its members to complete a difficult level of a video game. The results are shown in this grouped data table: |…

An e-sports club recorded the time (in minutes) taken by its members to complete a difficult level of a video game. The results are shown in this grouped data table:

Time (min) [10, 20) [20, 30) [30, 40) [40, 50)
No. of players 4 12 8 6

Calculate the arithmetic mean and the standard deviation of the distribution using the class marks.

Solve

Quartiles and the box plot

Just as the median splits ordered data into two halves, the quartiles split them into four sections with the same number of data values:

  • $Q_1$: first quartile, leaves 25% of the data below it.

  • $Q_2$: the median (50%).

  • $Q_3$: third quartile, leaves 75% of the data below it.

The box-and-whisker plot summarizes everything in a drawing. The whiskers go from the minimum to the maximum, the box goes from $Q_1$ to $Q_3$, and a line marks the median.

Box plot showing the minimum, first quartile Q₁, median Me, third quartile Q₃, and maximum; each section contains 25% of the data. 25 %25 %25 %25 % minQ₁MeQ₃max

Calculating quartiles step by step

We will use this convention: order the data and find the median. Then take as $Q_1$ and $Q_3$ the medians of the lower and upper halves. If the number of data values is odd, do not include the median in the halves.

Reading a box plot

If $Me-Q_1$ and $Q_3-Me$ are similar, the distribution is nearly symmetric. If one side is much longer, there is skewness toward that side, and the data are more spread out there. To locate a data value: if it is greater than $Q_3$, it is in the top 25%.

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The height of a group of 3rd year of secondary students was measured and the data were ordered from smallest to largest. The values of the quartiles obtained are:…

The height of a group of 3rd year of secondary students was measured and the data were ordered from smallest to largest. The values of the quartiles obtained are:

$Q_1 = 158 \text{ cm}, Q_2 = 165 \text{ cm}, Q_3 = 172 \text{ cm}$

  1. a) What is the value of the median?
  2. b) What percentage of students is $172 \text{ cm}$ tall or less?
Solve
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A survey was carried out on the number of hours per week spent by 3rd year of secondary school students reading books for pleasure. The position measures obtained are:…

A survey was carried out on the number of hours per week spent by 3rd year of secondary school students reading books for pleasure. The position measures obtained are:

$Mín = 0$; $Q_1 = 2$; $Me = 4$; $Q_3 = 7$; $Máx = 12$

Draw the corresponding box-and-whisker plot (box plot). If a student reads for 6 hours a week, in which quarter of the population are they located (between 0-25%, 25-50%, 50-75% or 75-100%)?

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Min Q₁ Med Q₃ Max 0-25% 25-50% 50-75% 75-100% 6 hours
Solve
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Look at the following box plot (box-and-whisker plot) representing the weekly hours of use of a mobile app in a sample of teenagers: Based on the graph, answer the…

Look at the following box plot (box-and-whisker plot) representing the weekly hours of use of a mobile app in a sample of teenagers:

0 10 20 30 40

Based on the graph, answer the following:

  1. a) What is the value of the median, the lower quartile ($Q_1$) and the upper quartile ($Q_3$)?
  2. b) Calculate the interquartile range ($RIC$).
  3. c) Reason whether the distribution is symmetrical or skewed. In which half of the data is there greater spread?
Solve

Spread: range, variance, and deviations

Let's go back to Wilkin and Starling. Here are their points in four games: both have a mean of 20, but they are nothing alike.

Two series with the same mean of 20 points: Wilkin's is tightly concentrated and Starling's is widely spread. Wilkin: 19, 20, 20, 21 Starling: 5, 35, 5, 35 mean 20 for both s ≈ 0.71 (consistent)s = 15 (inconsistent)

The distances are squared (or the absolute value is taken) so that positive and negative distances don't cancel out. Otherwise the sum would always be 0.

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The graph below shows the maximum temperatures recorded at a mountain shelter during the first 5 days of January. Knowing that the temperatures were…

The graph below shows the maximum temperatures recorded at a mountain shelter during the first 5 days of January.

10º 8º 6º 4º 2º 0º 4º 6º 2º 8º 5º M T W T F

Knowing that the temperatures were $4^\circ C, 6^\circ C, 2^\circ C, 8^\circ C$ and $5^\circ C$, calculate the range of the temperature over those days.

Solve
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Two esports teams recorded their scores in the last 5 matches. Team A: $85, 88, 90, 92, 95$ Team B: $60, 75, 90, 105, 120$ Both teams have the same mean, $\bar{x} = 90$.…

Two esports teams recorded their scores in the last 5 matches.

  • Team A: $85, 88, 90, 92, 95$

  • Team B: $60, 75, 90, 105, 120$

Both teams have the same mean, $\bar{x} = 90$. Without performing complex standard deviation calculations, look at the data and explain which of the two teams is more consistent (has less dispersion) and why.

Solve
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In a PE class, the recovery time of two groups after a run was measured. Both groups have the same mean heart rate, $\bar{x} = 85$ bpm. However, the variance of Group 1…

In a PE class, the recovery time of two groups after a run was measured. Both groups have the same mean heart rate, $\bar{x} = 85$ bpm. However, the variance of Group 1 is $S^2 = 16$ and that of Group 2 is $S^2 = 100$.

  1. a) Calculate the standard deviation of each group.
  2. b) In which of the two groups do the students have a more similar fitness level to each other? Reason your answer based on the dispersion.
Solve

Spread with frequencies

With a table, each distance counts as many times as its frequency:

$$s^2=\frac{\sum f_i(x_i-\bar{x})^2}{N} \qquad DM=\frac{\sum f_i|x_i-\bar{x}|}{N}$$
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Observe the following representation of a data set on a number line. The dots represent the number of pets owned by several neighbors: From the graph, write down the…

Observe the following representation of a data set on a number line. The dots represent the number of pets owned by several neighbors:

0 1 2 3 4 Number of pets 1 2 3

From the graph, write down the list of data and calculate the mode ($Mo$) and the range.

Solve
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A courier company analyses the weight of the packages it transports. The data have been grouped into the following frequency table by intervals: | Weight in kg…

A courier company analyses the weight of the packages it transports. The data have been grouped into the following frequency table by intervals:

Weight in kg $[L_i, L_s)$ No. of packages ($f_i$)
$[0, 2)$ $12$
$[2, 4)$ $25$
$[4, 6)$ $38$
$[6, 8)$ $15$
$[8, 10)$ $10$

Calculate the arithmetic mean, the variance and the standard deviation of the distribution. To do this, first identify the class marks ($x_i$) of each interval.

Solve

Comparing and deciding

Two data sets with the same mean are compared by their spread. Two high school baseball teams take, in minutes, to set up their lineup: A: 8, 10, 12 and B: 2, 10, 18. Both have a mean of 10, but $s_A\approx1.63$ and $s_B\approx6.53$. If you need predictable times, A is more consistent.

But standard deviation alone can be misleading when the means are very different. A deviation of 5 is huge if the mean is 10 and tiny if the mean is 1,000.

Back to the beginning: Wilkin and Starling have the same mean (20 points), but Wilkin has a small standard deviation and Starling a large one. To secure points in a close game, you would put in Wilkin. If you need an extraordinary scoring burst, maybe you would gamble on Starling.

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Look at the following two data sets, which represent the points scored by two basketball players in their last 5 games: Player A: $18, 20, 22, 19, 21$ Player B:…

Look at the following two data sets, which represent the points scored by two basketball players in their last 5 games:

  • Player A: $18, 20, 22, 19, 21$

  • Player B: $10, 30, 5, 25, 30$

In the figure you have the same data represented on a number line (each dot is a game).

Dot plot with the points scored by player A and player B in their last 5 games, on a number line from 0 to 35Player APlayer B05101520253035Points in the game

Without doing complex variance calculations, look at the data and answer:

  1. Do they have the same arithmetic mean?

  2. Which of the two players is more "consistent" in their scoring?

  3. If you had to choose one of them to play the last minute of a final, which one would you choose and why? Use the concepts of mean and dispersion in your answer.

Solve
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Two messaging apps, "App A" and "App B", are competing to be the most stable. The response time (in milliseconds) was measured over 10 different attempts, obtaining the…

Two messaging apps, "App A" and "App B", are competing to be the most stable. The response time (in milliseconds) was measured over 10 different attempts, obtaining the following results:

  • App A: $\bar{x} = 120$ ms; $\sigma = 15$ ms

  • App B: $\bar{x} = 125$ ms; $\sigma = 5$ ms

Calculate the coefficient of variation ($CV$) for both applications and explain with reasons which of the two is more "reliable" or consistent in its performance for a user.

80 100 120 125 140 160 Response time (ms) σ=15 σ=5 App A x̄=120 App B x̄=125
Solve
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Two eSports players, Alex and Bea, recorded their scores in the last $8$ matches of a tournament. Alex: $85, 90, 88, 92, 87, 89, 91, 88$ Bea:…

Two eSports players, Alex and Bea, recorded their scores in the last $8$ matches of a tournament.

  • Alex: $85, 90, 88, 92, 87, 89, 91, 88$

  • Bea: $70, 98, 65, 100, 75, 95, 80, 100$

  1. a) Calculate the mean and standard deviation for both players.
  2. b) Use the coefficient of variation ($CV$) to determine which of the two is a more consistent and reliable player for the team. Explain what it means in this context if one player has a much higher standard deviation than the other when their means are similar.
Solve

When the data change

Adding or removing data values

The mean is $\bar{x}=\dfrac{\text{sum}}{N}$, so the total sum is $\bar{x}\times N$. With this we know what happens when we add or remove a data value.

Adding to or multiplying all the data values

  • If you add an amount $k$ to all the data values, the mean increases by $k$ and the standard deviation does not change (everything shifts by the same amount, so the distances between values stay the same).

  • If you multiply all the data values by $k$, the mean is multiplied by $k$ and the standard deviation by $|k|$. The variance is multiplied by $k^2$.

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Lucía's marks in her first four Mathematics exams were $6.5$, $4$, $8$ and $7.5$. If she still has a fifth exam to take, what mark must she get for her final mean mark…

Lucía's marks in her first four Mathematics exams were $6.5$, $4$, $8$ and $7.5$. If she still has a fifth exam to take, what mark must she get for her final mean mark to be exactly $7$? Justify your answer by setting up an equation.

Solve
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In a group of $10$ friends, the mean height is $172$ cm. If a person who is $194$ cm tall joins the group, what will the new mean be? If another person who was $161$ cm…

In a group of $10$ friends, the mean height is $172$ cm. If a person who is $194$ cm tall joins the group, what will the new mean be? If another person who was $161$ cm tall then leaves, what will the final mean of the group be? Justify step by step how each change affects the total sum of heights to carry out the calculation.

Solve
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A teacher marked the exams of a class of $25$ students. The mean turned out to be $6.4$ and the standard deviation $1.2$. After reviewing one of the questions, the…

A teacher marked the exams of a class of $25$ students. The mean turned out to be $6.4$ and the standard deviation $1.2$. After reviewing one of the questions, the teacher decides to increase everyone's mark by $0.5$ points.

  1. a) What will the new mean and the new standard deviation be?
  2. b) If instead of adding a fixed amount, the teacher decided to increase all marks by $10\%$, how would both measures be affected? Justify your answer based on the properties of statistical measures.
Solve

Outliers and building data sets

Making up data that meet conditions

To build a list that meets conditions, order it and set the most restrictive condition first.

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A youth clothing shop wants to analyse the age of its customers. To do this, it takes a sample of 10 people on a Saturday morning:…

A youth clothing shop wants to analyse the age of its customers. To do this, it takes a sample of 10 people on a Saturday morning:

$14, 15, 16, 14, 22, 15, 17, 14, 35, 16$

  1. a) Calculate the range and the mean age.
  2. b) The median is $15.5$ years. If we remove the 35-year-old customer (which is considered an outlier), calculate the new mean and the new median. Which parameter has changed the most? Why do you think this happens?
Solve
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In a small company, the salaries of the $5$ employees are: $\text{RD\$}\ 66\,000, \text{RD\$}\ 72\,000, \text{RD\$}\ 75\,000, \text{RD\$}\ 78\,000$ and $\text{RD\$}\…

In a small company, the salaries of the $5$ employees are: $\text{RD\$}\ 66\,000, \text{RD\$}\ 72\,000, \text{RD\$}\ 75\,000, \text{RD\$}\ 78\,000$ and $\text{RD\$}\ 84\,000$. The manager has a salary of $\text{RD\$}\ 270\,000$.

  1. a) Calculate the mean and the median of the salaries, including the manager.
  2. b) Which of the two measures better represents the "typical" salary of the company? Explain the effect that the manager's salary (an extreme value) has on the mean and why the median is a more robust measure in this case.
  3. c) If the company wants to project an image of prosperity in its advertising, which measure would it use? Would it be misleading?
Solve
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Create a set of $6$ statistical data points (positive integers) that simultaneously satisfy the following conditions: 1. The mode is $4$. 2. The median is $5$. 3. The…

Create a set of $6$ statistical data points (positive integers) that simultaneously satisfy the following conditions:

  1. The mode is $4$.

  2. The median is $5$.

  3. The range is $10$.

  4. The mean is greater than the median.

Show the calculations that verify that your set meets all the requirements.

Solve

Summary

See all the exercises in this section