Data Variability Statistics Example 1

Follow the full solution, then compare it with the other examples linked below.

Example 1

easy
Two classes took the same test. Class A scores: 70, 72, 68, 71, 69. Class B scores: 50, 90, 60, 80, 70. Both have a mean of 70. Which class has more variability?

Solution

  1. 1
    Step 1: Class A range: 72−68=472 - 68 = 4. Class B range: 90−50=4090 - 50 = 40.
  2. 2
    Step 2: A larger range indicates the data is more spread out.
  3. 3
    Step 3: Class B has much more variability (range 40 vs 4).

Answer

Class B has more variability.
Variability measures how spread out data values are. Two data sets can have the same mean but very different variability, which tells us how consistent or inconsistent the values are.

About Data Variability

Data variability describes how much the values in a data set are spread out or clustered together around the center. High variability means values are widely scattered; low variability means they are tightly grouped near the average.

Learn more about Data Variability →

More Data Variability Examples

Example 2 medium

Daily temperatures (°C) for a week: 20, 22, 19, 21, 20, 23, 21. Calculate the mean and describe the

Example 3 easy

Set X: {5, 5, 5, 5, 5}. Set Y: {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}. Both have mean 5. Which set has zero variability and

Example 4 easy

Team A scores 14, 15, 15, 16, 15 in five games. Team B scores 10, 15, 20, 15, 15. Which team has gre

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