Practice Data Variability in Statistics
Use these practice problems to test your method after reviewing the concept explanation and worked examples.
Quick Recap
How much the values in a data set are spread out or clustered together around the center.
Two archery targets both have average hits at the bullseye. But one archer's arrows are scattered all over, while the other's are clustered tightly. Same average, very different consistency. That difference is variability.
Example 1
easyTwo 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?
Example 2
mediumDaily temperatures (°C) for a week: 20, 22, 19, 21, 20, 23, 21. Calculate the mean and describe the variability informally.
Example 3
easySet X: {5, 5, 5, 5, 5}. Set Y: {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}. Both have mean 5. Which set has zero variability and why?
Example 4
easyTeam A scores 14, 15, 15, 16, 15 in five games. Team B scores 10, 15, 20, 15, 15. Which team has greater variability? Explain briefly.