Range Examples in Statistics

Start with the recap, study the fully worked examples, then use the practice problems to check your understanding of Range.

This page combines explanation, solved examples, and follow-up practice so you can move from recognition to confident problem-solving in Statistics.

Concept Recap

The difference between the maximum and minimum values in a data set, measuring overall spread.

Range tells you how spread out your data is from end to end. If the tallest kid is 5 feet and the shortest is 4 feet, the range is 1 foot - that's the 'stretch' of heights.

Read the full concept explanation →

How to Use These Examples

  • Read the first worked example with the solution open so the structure is clear.
  • Try the practice problems before revealing each solution.
  • Use the related concepts and background knowledge badges if you feel stuck.

What to Focus On

Core idea: Range measures the total span of the data from lowest to highest. A single extreme outlier can make range misleadingly large.

Common stuck point: Students sometimes report the maximum and minimum as the range instead of computing their difference — range is one number, not two.

Worked Examples

Example 1

easy
Find the range of the data set: 15, 8, 22, 3, 17.

Solution

  1. 1
    Step 1: Identify the maximum value: 22.
  2. 2
    Step 2: Identify the minimum value: 3.
  3. 3
    Step 3: Range = 22 - 3 = 19.

Answer

19
The range is the simplest measure of spread, calculated as the difference between the largest and smallest values. It gives a quick sense of how spread out the data is.

Example 2

medium
Two basketball players' points per game — Player A: 10, 12, 11, 13, 9. Player B: 5, 20, 8, 18, 4. Who is more consistent?

Practice Problems

Try these problems on your own first, then open the solution to compare your method.

Example 1

easy
The ages of children at a party are: 6, 9, 7, 11, 8, 10. What is the range of ages?

Example 2

easy
Morning temperatures for five days are 12, 13, 12, 14, and 25. What is the range, and what does the day with 25 tell you about the data?
← Back to Range Practice Mode

Related Concepts

Data Variability

Background Knowledge

These ideas may be useful before you work through the harder examples.

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