3- 1

Describing Data: Numerical Measures

GOALS
When you have completed this chapter, you will be able to:
ONE
Calculate the arithmetic mean, median, mode, weighted
mean, and the geometric mean.
TWO
Explain the characteristics, uses, advantages, and
disadvantages of each measure of location.
THREE
Identify the position of the arithmetic mean, median,
and mode for both a symmetrical and a skewed
distribution. Goals
 3- 2
Chapter Three
Describing Data: Numerical Measures
FOUR
Compute and interpret the range, the mean deviation, the
variance, and the standard deviation of ungrouped data.
FIVE
Explain the characteristics, uses, advantages, and
disadvantages of each measure of dispersion.

SIX
Understand Chebyshev’s theorem and the Empirical Rule as
they relate to a set of observations.
Goals
 3- 3

The Arithmetic Mean is It is calculated by

the most widely used measure summing the values
of location and shows the and dividing by the
central value of the data. number of values.

A verage
The major characteristics of the mean are: Joe

It requires the interval scale.

All values are used.

It is unique.

The sum of the deviations from the mean is 0.

Characteristics of the Mean

 3- 4
For ungrouped data, the
Population Mean is the
sum of all the population

 X
values divided by the total
number of population N
values:

where
µ is the population mean

N is the total number of observations.

X is a particular value.

 indicates the operation of adding.

Population Mean
 A Parameter is a measurable characteristic of a
3- 5

population.

The Kiers 56,000

family owns 42,000
four cars. The
23,000
following is the
current mileage 73,000
on each of the
four cars.
Find the mean mileage for the cars.


 X

56,000  ...  73,000
 48,500
N 4
Example 1
 3- 6

For ungrouped data, the sample mean is

the sum of all the sample values divided
by the number of sample values:

X
X 
n

where n is the total number of

values in the sample.

Sample Mean
 3- 7

A statistic is a measurable characteristic of a sample.

A sample of
five 14.0,
executives
15.0,
received the
following 17.0,
bonus last 16.0,
year ($000): 15.0

X 14.0  ...  15.0 77

X     15.4
n 5 5

Example 2
 3- 8

Properties of the Arithmetic Mean

Every set of interval-level and ratio-level data has a
mean.
All the values are included in computing the mean.
A set of data has a unique mean.
The mean is affected by unusually large or small
data values.
The arithmetic mean is the only measure of location
where the sum of the deviations of each value from
the mean is zero.
Properties of the Arithmetic Mean
 3- 9

Consider the set of values: 3, 8, and 4.

The mean is 5. Illustrating the fifth
property

( X  X )   (3  5)  (8  5)  (4  5)  0

Example 3
 3- 10

The Weighted Mean of a set of

numbers X1, X2, ..., Xn, with
corresponding weights w1, w2, ...,wn,
is computed from the following
formula:

( w1 X 1  w2 X 2  ...  wn X n )
Xw 
( w1  w2  ...wn )

Weighted Mean
 3- 11

During a one hour period on a

hot Saturday afternoon cabana
boy Chris served fifty drinks.
He sold five drinks for $0.50,
fifteen for $0.75, fifteen for
$0.90, and fifteen for $1.10.
Compute the weighted mean of
the price of the drinks.

5($0.50)  15($0.75)  15($0.90)  15($1.15)

Xw 
5  15  15  15
$44.50
  $0.89
50
Example 4
 3- 12

The Median is the

midpoint of the values after
they have been ordered from There are as many
the smallest to the largest. values above the
median as below it in
the data array.

For an even set of values, the median will be the

arithmetic average of the two middle numbers and is
found at the (n+1)/2 ranked observation.

The Median
 3- 13

The ages for a sample of five college students are:

21, 25, 19, 20, 22.

Arranging the data

in ascending order
gives:

19, 20, 21, 22, 25.

Thus the median is

21.

The median (continued)

 3- 14

The heights of four basketball players, in inches,

are: 76, 73, 80, 75.

Arranging the data in

ascending order gives:

73, 75, 76, 80

The median is found
at the (n+1)/2 =
Thus the median is 75.5. (4+1)/2 =2.5th data
point.

Example 5
 3- 15

Properties of the Median

There is a unique median for each data set.

It is not affected by extremely large or small
values and is therefore a valuable measure of
location when such values occur.
It can be computed for ratio-level, interval-
level, and ordinal-level data.
It can be computed for an open-ended
frequency distribution if the median does not
lie in an open-ended class.

Properties of the Median

 3- 16

The Mode is another measure of location and

represents the value of the observation that appears
most frequently.

Example 6: The exam scores for ten students are:

81, 93, 84, 75, 68, 87, 81, 75, 81, 87. Because the score
of 81 occurs the most often, it is the mode.

Data can have more than one mode. If it has two

modes, it is referred to as bimodal, three modes,
trimodal, and the like.

The Mode: Example 6

 3- 17
Symmetric distribution: A distribution having the
same shape on either side of the center

Skewed distribution: One whose shapes on either

side of the center differ; a nonsymmetrical distribution.

Can be positively or negatively skewed, or bimodal

The Relative Positions of the Mean, Median, and Mode
 3- 18
Zero skewness Mean
=Median
=Mode

M ean
M e d ia n
M ode

The Relative Positions of the Mean, Median, and Mode:

Symmetric Distribution
 3- 19
• Positively skewed: Mean and median are to the right of the
mode.

Mean>Median>Mode

M ode M ean
M e d ia n

The Relative Positions of the Mean, Median, and Mode:

Right Skewed Distribution
 3- 20
Negatively Skewed: Mean and Median are to the left of the Mode.

Mean<Median<Mode

M ean M ode
M e d ia n

The Relative Positions of the Mean, Median, and

Mode: Left Skewed Distribution
 3- 21

The Geometric Mean

(GM) of a set of n numbers
is defined as the nth root
of the product of the n
numbers. The formula is:

GM  n ( X 1)( X 2 )( X 3)...( Xn )

The geometric mean is used to

average percents, indexes, and
relatives.

Geometric Mean
 3- 22

The interest rate on three bonds were 5, 21, and 4

percent.
The arithmetic mean is (5+21+4)/3 =10.0.
The geometric mean is

GM  3 (5)(21)(4)  7.49

The GM gives a more conservative

profit figure because it is not
heavily weighted by the rate of
21percent.
Example 7
 3- 23

Another use of the Grow th in Sales 1999-2004

geometric mean is to 50

determine the percent

Sales in Millions($)
40

increase in sales, 30

production or other 20

10
business or economic 0
series from one time 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

period to another. Year

( Value at end of period)

GM  n 1
(Value at beginning of period)

Geometric Mean continued

 3- 24

The total number of females enrolled in American

colleges increased from 755,000 in 1992 to 835,000
in 2000. That is, the geometric mean rate of increase
is 1.27%.

835,000
GM  8  1  .0127
755,000

Example 8
 3- 25

30

Dispersion 25

refers to the 20

spread or 15

variability in 10

the data. 5

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12

range,
Measures of dispersion include the following:
mean deviation, variance, and standard
deviation.
Range = Largest value – Smallest value
Measures of Dispersion
 3- 26

The following represents the current year’s Return on

Equity of the 25 companies in an investor’s portfolio.

-8.1 3.2 5.9 8.1 12.3

-5.1 4.1 6.3 9.2 13.3
-3.1 4.6 7.9 9.5 14.0
-1.4 4.8 7.9 9.7 15.0
1.2 5.7 8.0 10.3 22.1

Highest value: 22.1 Lowest value: -8.1

Range = Highest value – lowest value

= 22.1-(-8.1)
= 30.2
Example 9
 3- 27

Mean The main features of the

Deviation mean deviation are:
The arithmetic  All values are used in the
mean of the
calculation.
absolute values
 It is not unduly influenced by
of the
deviations from large or small values.
the arithmetic  The absolute values are

mean. difficult to manipulate.

M D =  X - X
n
Mean Deviation
 3- 28

The weights of a sample of crates containing books

for the bookstore (in pounds ) are:
103, 97, 101, 106, 103
Find the mean deviation.
X = 102

The mean deviation is:

X X 103  102  ...  103  102

MD  
n 5
1 5 1 4  5
  2.4
5
Example 10
 3- 29

Variance: the
arithmetic mean
of the squared
deviations from
the mean.

Standard deviation:
deviation The square
root of the variance.

Variance and standard Deviation

 3- 30

The major characteristics of the

Population Variance are:

Not influenced by extreme values.

The units are awkward, the square of the

original units.
All values are used in the calculation.

Population Variance
 3- 31

Population Variance formula:

 
=  (X - )2
N
X is the value of an observation in the population
m is the arithmetic mean of the population
N is the number of observations in the population

Population Standard Deviation formula:

   2
Variance and standard deviation
 3- 32

In Example 9, the variance and standard deviation are:

 
=  (X - )2
N

( - 8 .1 - 6 .6 2 ) 2 + ( - 5 .1 - 6 .6 2 ) 2 + ... + ( 2 2 .1 - 6 .6 2 ) 2
   25

  = 4 2 .2 2 7

 =  6 . 4 9 8
Example 9 continued
 3- 33

Sample variance (s2)

(X - X ) 2
2
s = n -1

Sample standard deviation (s)

s s 2

Sample variance and standard deviation

 3- 34

The hourly wages earned by a sample of five students are:

$7, $5, $11, $8, $6.
Find the sample variance and standard deviation.
X 37
X    7.40
n 5

 X  X   7  7.4   ...   6  7.4 

2 2 2
s 
2

n 1 5 1
21.2
  5.30
5 1

s s 2
 5.30  2.30
Example 11
 3- 35

Chebyshev’s theorem: For any set of

observations, the minimum proportion of the values
that lie within k standard deviations of the mean is at
least:

1
1 2
k
where k is any constant greater than 1.

Chebyshev’s theorem
 3- 36

Empirical Rule: For any symmetrical, bell-shaped

distribution:

About 68% of the observations will lie within 1s

the mean

About 95% of the observations will lie within 2s of

the mean

Virtually all the observations will be within 3s of

the mean

Interpretation and Uses of the

Standard Deviation
 3- 37

Bell -Shaped Curve showing the relationship between  and .

68%

95%
99.7%
      

Interpretation and Uses of the Standard Deviation

 3- 38

The Mean of a sample of data

organized in a frequency
distribution is computed by the
following formula:

Xf
X 
n

The Mean of Grouped Data

 3- 39

A sample of ten Movies frequency class (f)(X)

showing f midpoint
movie theaters X
in a large 1 up to 3 1 2 2
metropolitan 3 up to 5 2 4 8
area tallied the 5 up to 7 3 6 18
total number of 7 up to 9 1 8 8
movies showing 9 up to 3 10 30
last week. 11
Compute the Total 10 66

mean number of
movies X 66
X    6.6
showing. n 10

Example 12
 3- 40

The Median of a sample of data organized in a

frequency distribution is computed by:

n
 CF
Median  L  2 (i )
f

where L is the lower limit of the median class, CF is the

cumulative frequency preceding the median class, f is
the frequency of the median class, and i is the median
class interval.

The Median of Grouped Data

 3- 41

To determine the median class for grouped

data
Construct a cumulative frequency distribution.
Divide the total number of data values by 2.
Determine which class will contain this value. For
example, if n=50, 50/2 = 25, then determine which
class will contain the 25th value.

Finding the Median Class

 3- 42

Movies Frequency Cumulative

showing Frequency
1 up to 3 1 1
3 up to 5 2 3
5 up to 7 3 6
7 up to 9 1 7
9 up to 11 3 10

Example 12 continued
 3- 43

From the table, L=5, n=10, f=3, i=2, CF=3

n 10
 CF 3
Median  L  2 (i )  5  2 (2)  6.33
f 3

Example 12 continued
 3- 44

The Mode for grouped data is

approximated by the midpoint of the
class with the largest class frequency.

The modes in example 12 are 6 and 10

and so is bimodal.

The Mode of Grouped Data