Interquartile Range and Box Plots

Words to remember
median The middle value in an ordered data set.
E.g. in the data set: the median is .
2, 5, 8 , 9, 9, 8

quartile The values that divide an ordered list of numbers into quarters.
Questions
1. Give a five-number summary for the data set below.
18, 3, 6, 8, 4, 20, 1, 1, 4, 2, 17, 4, 4, 6, 1

We can represent a five-number summary graphically also.

We draw a box which includes all
the numbers between the first and
third quartiles of the data set.

Then a line across this box which

shows the median of the data set.

Then we put "whiskers" on the box,

to show the positions of
the maximum and minimum values
in the data set.

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 Interquartile Range and Box Plots

2. Use the following box plots to estimate -number summaries for the data sets they represent.
5

a) b)

Min: Min:
1 Quartile:
st
1 Quartile:
st

Median: Median:
3 Quartile:
rd
3 Quartile:
rd

Max: Max:

c) d)

Min: Min:
1 Quartile:
st
1 Quartile:
st

Median: Median:
3 Quartile:
rd
3 Quartile:
rd

Max: Max:

3. Draw box plots for the following data sets.

a) 120, 140, 200, 650, 540, 330, 300, 100, 450, 400, 500

b) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

c) 14, 11, 26, 3, 14, 21, 38, 16, 9, 10

d) 18, 3, 6, 8, 4, 20, 1, 1, 4, 2, 17, 4, 4, 6, 1

e) 45, 50, 90, 25, 60, 75, 65, 50, 140, 55

f) 3, 24, 15, 34, 8, 5, 11, 20, 22, 14, 15, 16, 5

t d

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 Interquartile Range and Box Plots

4. For the following data sets, find the difference between the and 1
st
3
rd
quartiles. That is, calculate “
Q3 − Q1 ”.
a) 12, 16, 23, 44, 57, 42, 88, 74, 31, 66, 45, 18, 68, 33, 50, 40

b) 5, 12, 16, 8, 5, 4, 4, 10, 16, 14, 20, 4, 7, 8, 7

c) 4, 8, 2, 6, 12, 24, 10, 20, 14, 28, 16, 18

The difference between the and 1

st
3
rd
quartiles is known as the interquartile range (or IQR).

5. Calculate the interquartile range for the following data sets.

a) 12, 16, 23, 44, 57, 42, 88, 74, 31, 66, 45, 18, 68, 33, 50, 40

b) 10, 20, 50, 45, 60, 35, 25, 55, 45, 40, 25, 30, 30

6. For a given data set, how much of the data lies within the interquartile range?
7. For the box plots below, calculate the interquartile range.
a) b) c)

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 Interquartile Range and Box Plots

8. Use this pair of box plots to answer the following questions.

a) Which of these box plots has the lowest median?

b) What can you say about the interquartile range of these box plots?
c) Which of these box plots has the greatest spread for the entire data set?
9.

a) Which of these box plots has the greatest median?

b) Which of these box plots has the lowest interquartile range?
c) Which of these box plots has the smallest spread for the entire data set?

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 Interquartile Range and Box Plots

10. Use this set of box plots to answer the following questions.

a) Which of these box plots has the lowest median?

b) Which of these box plots has the greatest spread for the middle 50% of the data?
c) Which of these box plots has the greatest spread for the entire data set?
11. Use this pair of box plots to answer the following questions.

a) Which of these box plots has the greatest median?

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 Interquartile Range and Box Plots

b) Which of these box plots has the smallest spread for the middle 50% of the data?
c) Which of these box plots has the smallest spread for the entire data set?

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 Interquartile Range and Box Plots

Answers
1. Give a five-number summary for the data set below.
18, 3, 6, 8, 4, 20, 1, 1, 4, 2, 17, 4, 4, 6, 1

Min = 1 Q1 = 2 Median = 4 Q3 = 8 Max = 20

2. Use the following box plots to estimate -number summaries for the data sets they represent.
5

a) b)

Min: 12
Min: 4

1 Quartile:
st
15 1 Quartile:
st
20

Median: 18
Median: 35

3 Quartile:
rd
25
3 Quartile:
rd
40

Max: 35 Max: 48

c) d)

Min: 5 Min: 50

1 Quartile:
st
10 1 Quartile:
st
65

Median: 15 Median: 70

3 Quartile:
rd
20 3 Quartile:
rd
90

Max: 25 Max: 110

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3. Draw box plots for the following data sets.

a) 120, 140, 200, 650, 540, 330, 300, 100, 450, 400, 500

Min = 100 Q1 = 140 Median = 330 Q3 = 500 Max = 650

b) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Min = 1 Q1 = 5.5 Median = 10.5 Q3 = 15.5 Max = 20

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c) 14, 11, 26, 3, 14, 21, 38, 16, 9, 10

Min = 3 Q1 = 10 Median = 14 Q3 = 21 Max = 38

d) 18, 3, 6, 8, 4, 20, 1, 1, 4, 2, 17, 4, 4, 6, 1

Min = 1 Q1 = 2 Median = 4 Q3 = 8 Max = 20

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e) 45, 50, 90, 25, 60, 75, 65, 50, 140, 55

First organise the data in order,

25, 45, 50, 50, 55, 60, 65, 75, 90, 140

The median is the central value,

55+60
median = = 57.5
2

Now we have two half-sets of data:

25, 45, 50, 50, 55 and 60, 65, 75, 90, 140

With,
55 + 60
median = = 57.5
2

Now we have two half-sets of data:

25, 45, 50, 50, 55 and 60, 65, 75, 90, 140

Thus,
Min = 25 Q1 = 50 Median = 57.5 Q3 = 75 Max = 140

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f) 3, 24, 15, 34, 8, 5, 11, 20, 22, 14, 15, 16, 5

First organise the data in order,

3, 5, 5, 8, 11, 14, 15, 15, 16, 20, 22, 24, 34

The median is the central value,

median = 15

Now you have two half-sets of data:

3, 5, 5, 8, 11, 14 and 15, 16, 20, 22, 24, 34

With,
median =
5 + 8

2
= 6.5 and median =
20 + 22

2
= 21

Thus,
Min = 3 Q1 = 6.5 Median = 15 Q3 = 21 Max = 34

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 Interquartile Range and Box Plots

4. For the following data sets, find the difference between the and 1
st
3
rd
quartiles. That is, calculate “
Q3 − Q1 ”.
a) 12, 16, 23, 44, 57, 42, 88, 74, 31, 66, 45, 18, 68, 33, 50, 40

First organise the data in order,

12, 16, 18, 23, 31, 33, 40, 42, 44, 45, 50, 57, 66, 68, 74, 88

The median is the central value,

median = 43

Now you have two half-sets of data:

12, 16, 18, 23, 31, 33, 40, 42 and 44, 45, 50, 57, 66, 68, 74, 88

With,
median = 27 and median = 61.5

Thus,
Q1 = 27, Q3 = 61.5

Q3 − Q1 = 61.5 − 27

= 34.5

b) 5, 12, 16, 8, 5, 4, 4, 10, 16, 14, 20, 4, 7, 8, 7

First organise the data in order,

4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 7, 7, 8, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 16, 20

The median is the central value,

median = 8

Now you have two half-sets of data:

and
4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 7, 7 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 16, 20

With,
median = 5 and median = 14

Thus,
Q1 = 5, Q3 = 14

Q3 − Q1 = 14 − 5

= 9

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c) 4, 8, 2, 6, 12, 24, 10, 20, 14, 28, 16, 18

First organise the data in order,

2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 28

The median is the central value,

median = 13

Now you have two half-sets of data:

and
2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 28

With,
median = 7 and median = 19

Thus,
Q1 = 7, Q3 = 19

Q3 − Q1 = 19 − 7

= 12

5. Calculate the interquartile range for the following data sets.

a) 12, 16, 23, 44, 57, 42, 88, 74, 31, 66, 45, 18, 68, 33, 50, 40

This is the same data set as in Question a). 4

We already found that the interquartile range ( Q3 − Q1 ) was 34.5 .

b) 10, 20, 50, 45, 60, 35, 25, 55, 45, 40, 25, 30, 30

First organise the data in order,

10, 20, 25, 25, 30, 30, 35, 40, 45, 45, 50, 55, 60

The median is the central value,

median = 35

Now you have two half-sets of data:

and
10, 20, 25, 25, 30, 30 40, 45, 45, 50, 55, 60

With,
median = 25 and median = 47.5

Thus,
Q1 = 25, Q3 = 47.5

IQR = Q3 − Q1 = 47.5 − 25

= 22.5

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6. For a given data set, how much of the data lies within the interquartile range?

The interquartile range contains the data between the 1

st
and 3
rd
quartiles.
Q1 Q2 Q3

25% 25% 25% 25%

As there is 25% of the data in each section, there is 50% of the data in the interquartile
range.
7. For the box plots below, calculate the interquartile range.
a) b) c)

IQR ≃ 25 − 12 IQR ≃ 40 − 20 IQR ≃ 75 − 55

= 13 = 20 = 20

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 Interquartile Range and Box Plots

8. Use this pair of box plots to answer the following questions.

a) Which of these box plots has the lowest median?

Box plot A has the lowest median, as this is represented by the line cutting through the
box.
b) What can you say about the interquartile range of these box plots?
They are the same. For box plot A:
IQR ≃ 18 − 6

= 12

For box plot B:

IQR ≃ 22 − 10

= 12

c) Which of these box plots has the greatest spread for the entire data set?
The entire data set is between the “whiskers” of the box plot, as these represent the
maximum and minimum values of the data set.
Thus, it is box plot B.

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9.

a) Which of these box plots has the greatest median?

Box plot C has the greatest median, as this is represented by the line cutting through
the box.
b) Which of these box plots has the lowest interquartile range?
Box plot B has the lowest IQR, as this is represented by the difference between the top
and bottom of the box.
c) Which of these box plots has the smallest spread for the entire data set?
The entire data set is between the “whiskers” of the box plot, as these represent the
maximum and minimum values of the data set. Thus, it is box plot B.

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 Interquartile Range and Box Plots

10. Use this set of box plots to answer the following questions.

a) Which of these box plots has the lowest median?

Box plot B has the lowest median, as this is represented by the line cutting through the
box.
b) Which of these box plots has the greatest spread for the middle of the data?
50%

The middle of the data is represented by the box, thus the longest box has the
50%

greatest spread for that 50%of the data. So it is box plot B.

c) Which of these box plots has the greatest spread for the entire data set?
The entire data set is between the “whiskers” of the box plot, as these represent the
maximum and minimum values of the data set. Thus, it is box plot B.

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11. Use this pair of box plots to answer the following questions.

a) Which of these box plots has the greatest median?

Box plot A has the greatest median, as this is represented by the line cutting through
the box.
b) Which of these box plots has the smallest spread for the middle of the data?
50%

The middle of the data is represented by the box, thus the shortest box has the
50%

smallest spread for that 50%of the data. So it is box plot A.

c) Which of these box plots has the smallest spread for the entire data set?
The entire data set is between the “whiskers” of the box plot, as these represent the
maximum and minimum values of the data set. Thus, it is box plot A.

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