The range is the difference between the maximum and the minimum value of a sample on a given variable. It is calculated by subtracting the minimum value from the maximum value: range = max – min. Consider a group of people who are 25, 27, 29, 25, 26, and 42 years old. The range would be calculated by subtracting 25 from 42 resulting in 17.

As easy as the range is to calculate, it is sensitive to extreme values, which are referred to as outliers. As can be derived from the age group example, the person who is 42 years old can be seen as an outlier because all other people in the group are in their 20s and are clearly younger. If ...

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