DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

ANDHRA PRADESH
Name : K. Srinivas
Designation : Senior Lecturer
Branch : DCCP
Institute : SGM Govt. Polytechnic,
Abdullapurmet
Year/Semester : II Yr / III Semester
Subject : Quantitative Techniques - I
Sub.Code : CCP303
Topic : Dispersion, Range & Co-
Efficient of Range
Duration : 50 Mts
Sub-Topic : Meaning & Definitions of
Measures of Dispersion
Teaching Aids : PPT & Animations
CCP303.53 1
Objectives :

On Completion of this period, you would be

able to understand:

 Meaning of Dispersion
 Definitions of Measures of Dispersion

CCP303.53 2
Introduction :

 Averages alone cannot adequately describe a

set of observations, unless all the observations
are same
 Necessary to describe the variability or
dispersion of the observations

CCP303.53 3
Dispersion -Meaning :
 In two or more distributions, the Central Value
may be the same
 Yet, wide disparities in formation of distribution
may appear
 Measures of Dispersion can called Scatter,
Spread or Variation
 Helps study of important characteristic of a
distribution

CCP303.53 4
Definitions of Dispersion :

 Dispersion is “the Measure of the Variation of

the item”
--A.L.Bowley

CCP303.53 5
Definitions of Dispersion:

The Degree to which numerical data tend to

spread about an average value is called the
variation or dispersion of the data
-- Spiegal

CCP303.53 6
Definitions of Dispersion:

The Measurement of scatterness of the mass

of figures in a series about an average is
called Measure of Variation or Dispersion

-- Simpson &
Kafka

CCP303.53 7
Explanation to Definitions :

 Dispersion measures extent to which the items

vary from some Central Value
 Dispersion also called Averages of the Second
Order
 Because it gives an average of differences of
various items from an average

CCP303.53 8
 MEASURES OF DISPERSION

ALGEBRAIC GRAPHIC
(ABSOLUTE AND RELATIVE) (LORENZ CURVE

RANGE

QUARTILE
DEVIATION

MEAN
DEVIATION

STANDARD
DEVIATION

CCP303.53 9
Example 1:
Equally More or
scattered less equally Not
scattered equally
scattered
Series - Series A Series B Series C
50 48 1
50 50 2
50 53 239
50 52 3
50 47 5
Sum ∑X 250 250 250
Avg ∑X/N 50 50 50
CCP303.53 10
Observing the Series Given :

 Arithmetic Mean is same and hence series also

look similar in nature
 Distribution differs widely from one another
 Average more meaningful if examined in the light
of Dispersion

Go to Figure ‘1’

CCP303.53 11
Series ‘A’ :

 None of the items deviates from the AM

hence NO dispersion

CCP303.53 12
Series ‘B’ :

 Only one item is perfectly represented by AM

 Other items vary, but very small compared to
‘Series C’
 Very little dispersion exists

CCP303.53 13
Series ‘C’ :

 No single item represents by AM

 Items vary widely from one another
 Dispersion is much greater compared to
‘Series B’

CCP303.53 14
Figure 1 :

Picture courtesy: “Statistical Methods” by SP Gupta

 Represent two distributions with same mean

 With different dispersion

CCP303.53 15
Figure 2 :

Picture courtesy: “Statistical Methods” by SP Gupta

 Represent two distributions with same dispersion

 With unequal means

CCP303.53 16
Figure 3 :

Picture courtesy: “Statistical Methods” by SP Gupta

 Represent two distributions with unequal

dispersion

CCP303.53 17
Summary :

 Dispersion measures the extent to which the

items vary from central value

CCP303.53 18
Quiz:

1. Measures of dispersion also called

Averages of the Second Order
__________________________

2. An average is more meaningful if it is

Light of Dispersion
examined in the ________________

CCP303.53 19
Frequently Asked Questions :

1. What is Dispersion?
2. Explain any one Definition of Measures of
Dispersion

CCP303.53 20