<< Chapter < Page Chapter >> Page >

Introduction

This chapter gives you an opportunity to build on what you have learned in previous grades about data handling and probability. The work done will be mostly of a practical nature. Through problem solving and activities, you will end up mastering further methods of collecting, organising, displaying and analysing data. You will also learn how to interpret data, and not always to accept the data at face value, because data is sometimes misused and abused in order to try to falsely prove or support a viewpoint. Measures of central tendency (mean, median and mode) and dispersion (range, percentiles, quartiles, inter-quartile, semi-inter-quartile range, variance and standard deviation) will be investigated. Of course, the activities involving probability will be familiar to most of you - for example, you may have played dice or card games even before you came to school. Your basic understanding of probability and chance gained so far will be deepened to enable you to come to a better understanding of how chance and uncertainty can be measured and understood.

Standard deviation and variance

The measures of central tendency (mean, median and mode) and measures of dispersion (quartiles, percentiles, ranges) provide information on the data values at the centre of the data set and provide information on the spread of the data. The information on the spread of the data is however based on data values at specific points in the data set, e.g. the end points for range and data points that divide the data set into 4 equal groups for the quartiles. The behaviour of the entire data set is therefore not examined.

A method of determining the spread of data is by calculating a measure of the possible distances between the data and the mean. The two important measures that are used are called the variance and the standard deviation of the data set.

Variance

The variance of a data set is the average squared distance between the mean of the data set and each data value. An example of what this means is shown in [link] . The graph represents the results of 100 tosses of a fair coin, which resulted in 45 heads and 55 tails. The mean of the results is 50. The squared distance between the heads value and the mean is ( 45 - 50 ) 2 = 25 and the squared distance between the tails value and the mean is ( 55 - 50 ) 2 = 25 . The average of these two squared distances gives the variance, which is 1 2 ( 25 + 25 ) = 25 .

Population variance

Let the population consist of n elements { x 1 , x 2 , ... , x n } , with mean x ¯ (read as "x bar"). The variance of the population, denoted by σ 2 , is the average of the square of the distance of each data value from the mean value.

σ 2 = ( ( x - x ¯ ) ) 2 n .

Since the population variance is squared, it is not directly comparable with the mean and the data themselves.

Sample variance

Let the sample consist of the n elements { x 1 , x 2 , ... , x n } , taken from the population, with mean x ¯ . The variance of the sample, denoted by s 2 , is the average of the squared deviations from the sample mean:

s 2 = ( x - x ¯ ) 2 n - 1 .

Since the sample variance is squared, it is also not directly comparable with the mean and the data themselves.

Questions & Answers

what is mutation
Janga Reply
what is a cell
Sifune Reply
how is urine form
Sifune
what is antagonism?
mahase Reply
classification of plants, gymnosperm features.
Linsy Reply
what is the features of gymnosperm
Linsy
how many types of solid did we have
Samuel Reply
what is an ionic bond
Samuel
What is Atoms
Daprince Reply
what is fallopian tube
Merolyn
what is bladder
Merolyn
what's bulbourethral gland
Eduek Reply
urine is formed in the nephron of the renal medulla in the kidney. It starts from filtration, then selective reabsorption and finally secretion
onuoha Reply
State the evolution relation and relevance between endoplasmic reticulum and cytoskeleton as it relates to cell.
Jeremiah
what is heart
Konadu Reply
how is urine formed in human
Konadu
how is urine formed in human
Rahma
what is the diference between a cavity and a canal
Pelagie Reply
what is the causative agent of malaria
Diamond
malaria is caused by an insect called mosquito.
Naomi
Malaria is cause by female anopheles mosquito
Isaac
Malaria is caused by plasmodium Female anopheles mosquitoe is d carrier
Olalekan
a canal is more needed in a root but a cavity is a bad effect
Commander
what are pathogens
Don Reply
In biology, a pathogen (Greek: πάθος pathos "suffering", "passion" and -γενής -genēs "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is anything that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a germ. The term pathogen came into use in the 1880s.[1][2
Zainab
A virus
Commander
Definition of respiration
Muhsin Reply
respiration is the process in which we breath in oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide
Achor
how are lungs work
Commander
where does digestion begins
Achiri Reply
in the mouth
EZEKIEL
what are the functions of follicle stimulating harmones?
Rashima Reply
stimulates the follicle to release the mature ovum into the oviduct
Davonte
what are the functions of Endocrine and pituitary gland
Chinaza
endocrine secrete hormone and regulate body process
Achor
while pituitary gland is an example of endocrine system and it's found in the Brain
Achor
what's biology?
Egbodo Reply
Biology is the study of living organisms, divided into many specialized field that cover their morphology, physiology,anatomy, behaviour,origin and distribution.
Lisah
biology is the study of life.
Alfreda
Biology is the study of how living organisms live and survive in a specific environment
Sifune
Got questions? Join the online conversation and get instant answers!
Jobilize.com Reply

Get Jobilize Job Search Mobile App in your pocket Now!

Get it on Google Play Download on the App Store Now




Source:  OpenStax, Siyavula textbooks: grade 11 maths. OpenStax CNX. Aug 03, 2011 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col11243/1.3
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc.

Notification Switch

Would you like to follow the 'Siyavula textbooks: grade 11 maths' conversation and receive update notifications?

Ask