Comparing Data: Measures of Center and Spread

This lesson teaches how to use appropriate measures of center and spread by analyzing data. It covers key comparison phrases, the importance of choosing the right measures based on data shape, and provides a practical example using aluminum and plastic recycling data. The lesson also explains how to interpret histograms for data comparison, emphasizing the pairing of mean with standard deviation and median with IQR. The conclusion reinforces the importance of selecting suitable measures for accurate data analysis.

Which of the following is a measure of center?

• Range

• Median

• IQR

• Standard Deviation

What should you look for in data to decide between using mean and standard deviation or median and IQR?

• The number of data points

• The type of graph used

• The presence of outliers

• The color of the data points

When data is fairly clustered together, which measures are most appropriate?

• Median and IQR

• Mean and Standard Deviation

• Range and Mean

• IQR and Range

In a histogram, what does the line with no number at the top represent?

• The median

• The range

• The mode

• The mean

What does a larger standard deviation indicate about the data?

• Data has fewer outliers

• Data has a higher mean

• Data is more spread out

• Data is more compact