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BIOEP 1-2 1
Measures of Spread or Variability 5.2 MEASURES OF VARIABILITY OF GROUPED DATA

Introduction Solving for the measures of variability for grouped data is the
In the previous chapters, we discovered how valuable same as that of the ungrouped data, except that instead of
frequency tables and graphs are in discerning patterns of working with the individual scores, we are going to use the
variations and certain important features of a mass of data. We class marks of every interval.
also realized how general and inadequate these characteristics 5.2.1 Range of Grouped Data
are. In this chapter, we shall consider some descriptive The range for grouped data is estimated by subtracting the
measures that will allow us to make more specific quantitative lower boundary of the lowest class interval from the upper
statements concerning a set of data. Among such measures are boundary of the highest Interval
the Measures of Central Tendency, which are generally
referred to as “averages” and the Measures of Variability or l.
“spread”. These measures are intended to describe precisely 5.2.2 Variance and Standard Deviation
the center or middle as well as the distribution of the data from The variance and standard deviation of grouped data are
the center. obtained in much the same way as we obtain those of
5.1 MEASURES OF VARIABILITY OF UNGROUPED DATA ungrouped data. The procedure in solving the variance is:
The measures of central tendency are not enough to provide 1. Calculate the mean (round off to whole number).
complete and useful data and information. There is a need to 2. Subtract the mean from each class mark.
support them with other computational measures of 3. Square each deviation obtained in step 2.
description, commonly known as the measures of variability. 4. Multiply each squared deviation by the corresponding
The measures of variability indicate the degree or extent to frequency.
which numerical values are dispersed or spread out about the 5. Take the sum of the results in step 4.
average value in a distribution. The more popularly used 6. Divide the sum in step 5 by n – 1 if the values constitute a
measures of variability, such as the range, variance and sample, or by N if they constitute a population.
standard deviation, will be discussed in this lesson. Symbolically, we get
5.1.1 The Range (R)
The range (R) is defined as the difference between the highest
value (HV) and the lowest value (LV) in the data. Note: Just like in ungrouped data, we will make use of the first
formula in order for us to arrive with the same answers.
Module # 5
THE NORMAL DISTRIBUTION
Introduction
In the 18th century, gamblers were interested in the
chances of beating various gambling games and they asked
mathematicians to help them out. De Moivre was the first
to develop the mathematical equation of the normal curve.
In the early nineteenth century, Gauss and Laplace further
developed the concept of the normal curve and probability. It
was about the same time that errors of observation made by
astronomers were represented by a curve of this type. Today
the normal curve is referred to as the curve of error, the bell-
Steps in Solving the Variance shaped figure, the Gaussian curve, or De Moivre’s curve.
1. Find the mean of the data. (round off to the nearest whole THE NORMAL DISTRIBUTION AND ITS PROPERTIES
number) The normal distribution is a probability function that describes
2. Subtract the mean from each value. how the values of a variable are distributed. It is a symmetric
3. Square each deviation of the mean. distribution where most of the observations cluster around the
4. Find the sum of the squares. central peak and the probabilities for values further away
5. Substitute in the formula. from the mean taper off equally in both directions. The graph
Note: For the sake of learning, we are going to use the formula of a normal distribution is called the normal curve. The normal
for population data in solving the variance and standard curve is often called the Gaussian distribution, after Carl
deviation from hereon. Friedrich Gauss, who discovered many of its
4.3.3 The Standard Deviation properties. A normal distribution has the following properties:
1. It is symmetrical about the mean.
2. The mean is equal to the median, which is also equal to the
While the variance is particularly useful in advanced statistical mode.
analyses, it is not very useful a a measure of variability because 3. The tails or ends are asymptotic relative to the horizontal
of the way it is expressed. Because the observations are line.
squared, the unit of measurement is also squared. In order to 4. The total area under the normal curve is approximately equal
get back to the original unit, we must extract the principal root to 1 or 100%.
of the variance to obtain the standard deviation, which is by 5. The normal curve area may be subdivided into at least three
far the most reliable measure of variability. standard scores each to the left and to the right of the vertical
axis.
6. Along the horizontal line, the distance from one integral
standard score to the next integral standard score is measured
by the standard deviation.
THE Z-SCORES AND THE STANDARD NORMAL DISTRIBUTION
A standard normal distribution is a normal distribution with a
mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1.
It follows the properties of a normal distribution, which are:
BIOEP 1-2 2
1. A normal distribution is bell shaped.
2. The mean, median, and mode are equal and are located at
the center of the distribution.
3. A normal distribution is unimodal.
4. The curve is continuous.
5. The curve never touches the x-axis
6. The total area under the normal curve is equal to 1 or 100%.
Any x-value (raw score) can be transformed into a z-score
(standard score) by using the formula:
AREAS UNDER THE NORMAL CURVE

The area under the standard normal distribution curve can also
be thought of as a probability. That is, if it were possible to
select a z value at random , the probability of choosing one,
say, between 0 and 2.00 would be the same as the area under
the curve between 0 and 2.00. In this case the area is 0.4772.
Therefore, the probability of randomly selecting any z value
between 0 and 2.00 is 0.4772.
In finding areas under the standard normal distribution, we are
going to utilize the z-table (see table 1).
Steps In Finding Areas Under The Standard Normal Curve
1. Sketch the standard normal curve and shade the appropriate
area under the curve.
2. Find the area by following the directions for each case
shown.
a. To find the area to the left of z, find the area that
corresponds to z in the Standard Normal Table.
b. To find the area to the right of z, use the Standard Normal
Table to find the area that corresponds to z. Then subtract the
area from 1.
c. To find the area between two z-scores, find the area
corresponding to each z-score in the Standard Normal Table.
Then subtract the smaller area from the larger area.
APPLICATIONS OF THE NORMAL CURVE
Now we finally get to the real reason we study the normal
distribution. We want to be able to answer questions about
variables that are normally distributed.
Questions like..
 What proportion of individuals are geniuses?
 Is a systolic blood pressure of 110 unusual?
 What percentage of a particular brand of light bulb emits
between 300 and 400 lumens?
 What is the 90th percentile for the weights of 1-year-old
boys?
All of these questions can be answered using the normal
distribution!

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BIOEP 1-2 1

Measures of Spread or Variability 5.2 MEASURES OF VARIABILITY OF GROUPED DATA

AREAS UNDER THE NORMAL CURVE

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