MAT 152: Mathematics in the Modern World
Module #9
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
Lesson title: Computing Measures of Dispersion Materials: Student Activity Sheets
Learning Targets: References:
At the end of the module, students will be able to: [Link]
1. Identify the appropriate measures of dispersion for the given [Link]
dataset. Introduction to Statistics by D. Lane
2. Compute the appropriate measures of dispersion in real life
situation
Productivity Tip: Get ready for class every day, even when studying from home. Review previous and
upcoming class notes briefly. Being prepared helps you learn better.
A. CONNECT
A.1 Lesson Preview/Review
Activity A.1.1. Multiple Choice.
1. In a set of numbers, if the mean is 50 and the median is 45, what can be said about the distribution of
the numbers?
a. The numbers are evenly distributed. c. The distribution is skewed to the left.
b. The distribution is skewed to the right. d. There is no skew in the distribution.
2. For the data set {10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20}, which measure of central tendency will be the highest?
a. Mean b. Median c. Mode d. They are all the same.
3. A teacher calculates the average score of her class on a recent test to determine how well the students
understood the material. The scores are: 85, 90, 78, 92, 88, 79, 84. What is the mean score?
a. 84 b. 85 c. 86 d. 87
4. A biologist measures the lengths of fish in a pond for research purposes. The lengths (in centimeters)
are: 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 28, 30. What is the median length of the fish?
a. 18 b. 20 c. 22 d. 25
5. A researcher collects data on the time taken by participants to complete a task. The times (in minutes)
are: 5, 7, 8, 6, 9, 10, 7. What is the mean time taken to complete the task?
a. 7 min b. 7.5 min c. 8 min d. 8.5 min
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International License.
MAT 152: Mathematics in the Modern World
Module #9
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
B. COACH
B.1 Content Notes
Topic: Measures of Dispersion
Reading Comprehension Strategy: Definition and Description
In this lesson, you will read about measures of dispersion. To help us understand, we will use the strategy
of Definition and Description. In the last 2 lessons, I showed you the four steps in defining and describing a word.
Let’s do this together. What was the first step? - - - - - - - - You’re right! Step 1: Read the content notes carefully
to understand the context in which the preselected/underlined words are used. Let’s do that now. I will do
paragraphs 1, you do paragraphs 2, 3 and 4.
Measures of Dispersion
Imagine you have a bunch of numbers. We want to know how spread out they are. Measures of
dispersion help us understand our numbers better. One way to do this is by looking at the biggest and smallest
numbers to see how far apart they are, which is the range.
Variance and standard deviation show how spread out or close together numbers are in a dataset. If the
numbers are all close together, the difference will be small. But if they're spread out, the difference will be bigger.
These things help us see if our numbers are close together or spread out, which is important to know.
Variance shows how much the data points differ from the mean. Imagine you're trying to figure out how
much the scores of students in a class vary from the average score. Sample variance is like measuring how
spread out those scores are from the average. It helps us understand if the scores are close together or spread
out widely. This is important because sometimes we can't ask every student their score, so we use the scores
of a few students to estimate what all the scores might look like. It's like guessing what the whole pizza tastes
like by just tasting a slice.
Standard Deviation provides an average measure of how far the data points are from the mean and is
derived from the variance. Sample standard deviation is like a tool we use to see how spread out the numbers
are in a small group compared to the average number in that group. It's helpful because it gives us a sense of
how much the entire group might vary. For example, if you're looking at the heights of a few students in your
class, the sample standard deviation tells you if most students are around the same height or if there's a big
difference between them. In research, sample variance and sample standard deviation are commonly used.
Here are the formulas in computing measures of dispersion.
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MAT 152: Mathematics in the Modern World
Module #9
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
WORDS DEFINITION IMPORTANCE
Measures of Dispersion It is statistical tools used to quantify It helps us see if numbers are
the spread or variability of data points scattered, giving us insight into how
within a dataset our data is distributed.
Range It is the difference between the Importance of the range lies in its
highest and lowest values in a simplicity and ability to provide a
dataset. quick understanding of the spread of
data.
Variance
Sample Variance
Standard Deviation
Sample Standard Deviation
And we’re done! Good work!
● Definition and description strategy help us understand the content better. This comprehension strategy
can be used in any subject!
● It takes practice to do this well. Keep trying! The more you practice, the better you'll get at it.
Step 3: Strategy Review
1. What is the title of the text we read?
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. What reading comprehension strategy did we use?
_______________________________________________________________________________\
3. What are the four steps in this strategy?
_______________________________________________________________________________
Learning Modules by PHINMA Education is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0
International License.
MAT 152: Mathematics in the Modern World
Module #9
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
B.2 Skill Building Activity
To identify the right measure of dispersion for your data, here is the steps:
Step 1. Understand Your Data:
● Know the type of data you are dealing with nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio.
● Understand the distribution of your data: Is it symmetric, skewed, or multimodal?
● Identify any outliers: Extreme values can heavily influence certain measures of dispersion.
Step 2. Consider the Scale of Measurement:
● For nominal data: Measures of dispersion are generally not applicable, but you can still use range.
● For ordinal data: Range, interquartile range (IQR) are appropriate.
● For interval/ratio data: You have a wider range of options including variance, standard deviation, range,
IQR.
Step 3. Assess Data Distribution:
● If your data is normally distributed (bell-shaped curve), measures like variance and standard deviation
are suitable.
● For skewed distributions, where the data is not symmetric, IQR might be better as they are less affected
by extreme values.
Step 4. Determine the Presence of Outliers:
● If your dataset contains outliers, it's important to choose a measure of dispersion that is robust to them.
● Outliers can heavily influence the mean and standard deviation, so in the presence of outliers, IQR might
be more appropriate.
Step 5. Select the Measure:
Measure Symbol Formula/Process
Range R -To find the range, follow these steps:
Step 1. Identify the highest value (HV).
Step 2. Identify the lowest value (LV).
Step 3. Subtract the lowest value from the highest value.
R = Highest value – Lowest value
R = HV – LV
Interquartile IQR - To find the Interquartile Range
Range Step 1. Put the Numbers in Order (smallest to highest)
Step 2. Divide your data into a lower half and an upper half. Don't include the
median if you have an odd number of data points.
Step 3. Find the Middle of the Lower Half: This is called the first quartile (Q1).
Step 4. Find the Middle of the Upper Half: This is called the third quartile (Q3).
Step 5. Compute the IQR: Subtract Q1 from Q3. IQR = Q3 - Q1
Learning Modules by PHINMA Education is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0
International License.
MAT 152: Mathematics in the Modern World
Module #9
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
Variance 𝑠2 -To find the sample variance of a given dataset, follow these steps:
Step 1. Compute the mean of the data.
Step 2. Find each data point's difference from the mean value.
Note: You can use the “Make a Table” strategy to organize your data.
Step 3. Square each of these values.
Step 4. Add up all the squared values.
Note: It solved using Sigma Notation (∑)
Step 5. Divide this sum of squares by n – 1 (for sample)
2 ∑(𝑥−𝑥)2
𝑠 = 𝑛−1
Where: 𝑠 2 = Sample variance
∑ = summation notation which means “sum up” or
add the numbers in the dataset
x = Each value in the dataset
𝑥 = Mean of all values in the dataset
n = Number of values in the dataset
Standard 𝑠 Take the square root of the variance.
deviation
Step 6. Interpret the Result:
● Interpret the result to understand the variability.
*By following these steps, you can find the right way to measure how spread out your data is.
Let’s have examples:
Example 1. Identify and compute the appropriate measure of dispersion for the daily temperatures recorded
over a week (22, 23, 21, 25, 20, 24, 22).
Step 1. Understand Your Data:
We have daily temperatures recorded over a week.
Step 2. Consider the Scale of Measurement:
The daily temperatures recorded over a week are measured on an interval scale.
Step 3. Assess Data Distribution:
The temperatures seem to be moderately spread out. There are no extreme values.
Step 4. Determine the Presence of Outliers:
There are no extreme outliers in the dataset.
Learning Modules by PHINMA Education is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0
International License.
MAT 152: Mathematics in the Modern World
Module #9
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
Step 5. Select the Measure:
Since the temperatures are moderately spread out and there are no outliers, we can consider
using the standard deviation as the appropriate measure of dispersion.
▪ Compute the standard deviation.
1. Compute the mean of the data.
22 + 23 + 21 + 25 + 20 + 24 + 22 157
𝑥= = = 22.43 (rounded to two decimal places)
7 7
2. Find each data point's difference from the mean value.
x (𝑥 − 𝑥)
22 −0.43
23 0.57
21 −1.43
25 2.57
20 −2.43
24 1.57
22 −0.43
3. Square each of these values.
(𝑥 − 𝑥) (𝑥 − 𝑥)2
-0.43 0.18
0.57 0.32
-1.43 2.04
2.57 6.60
-2.43 5.90
1.57 2.46
-0.43 0.18
4. Add up all the squared values.
∑ = 0.18 + 0.32 + 2.04 + 6.60 + 5.90 + 2.46 + 0.18 = 17.68
5. Divide this sum of squares by n – 1 (for sample)
2
∑(𝑥−𝑥) 17.68 17.68
𝑠2 = = = = 2.53
𝑛−1 7−1 6
6. Take the square root of the variance
𝑠 = √2.53 = 1.58
Step 6. Interpret the Result
The standard deviation of the daily temperatures over the week is 1.58 degrees Celsius. This
tells us how much the temperatures vary from the average daily temperature of about 22.43
degrees Celsius.
Learning Modules by PHINMA Education is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0
International License.
MAT 152: Mathematics in the Modern World
Module #9
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
Example 2. You are analyzing the population density of different cities in a country. The population densities
vary greatly, with some cities being much more densely populated than others. Population Density
(people per square kilometer): 500, 1000, 200, 1500, 800, 300, 2000, 1200
Step 1. Understand Your Data:
We have the population densities of different cities in the country.
Step 2. Consider the Scale of Measurement:
The scale measurement is ratio scale.
Step 3. Assess Data Distribution:
The population densities vary greatly, with some cities being much more densely populated than
others.
Step 4. Determine the Presence of Outliers:
There are extreme variations in the population densities, indicating the presence of outliers.
Step 5. Select the Measure:
Since the data has extreme variations and outliers, the interquartile range (IQR) would be a
suitable measure of dispersion. It is resistant to outliers and provides a measure of dispersion.
▪ Compute the IQR.
1. Put the Numbers in Order
200, 300, 500, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000
2. Divide your data into a lower half and an upper half. Don't include the median if you have an
odd number of data points.
Lower half = 200, 300, 500, 800
Upper half = 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000
4. Find the Middle of the Lower Half: This is called the first quartile (Q1).
Q1 = (300 + 500) ÷2 = 800 ÷2 = 400
5. Find the Middle of the Upper Half: This is called the third quartile (Q3).
Q3 = (1200 + 1500) ÷2 = 2700 ÷2 = 1350
6. Compute the IQR: Subtract Q1 from Q3.
IQR = Q3 - Q1 = 1350 – 400 = 950
Step 6. Interpret the Result
The Interquartile Range (IQR) for the population density data is 950 people per square kilometer.
This tells us that the middle 50% of the population densities fall within the range of 400 to 1350
people per square kilometer.
Learning Modules by PHINMA Education is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0
International License.
MAT 152: Mathematics in the Modern World
Module #9
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
Now, Try this!
Scenario: Consider the prices (in pesos) of products in a store: ₱10, ₱15, ₱20, ₱25, ₱30, ₱35, ₱40. Now, You
want to understand how the prices vary or spread out across these products. Identify and compute the
appropriate measure of dispersion using the step-by-step process.
Learning Modules by PHINMA Education is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0
International License.
MAT 152: Mathematics in the Modern World
Module #9
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
C. CHECK
C.1 Check for Understanding
Scenario: Imagine tracking the number of hours spent studying per week by students in a class: 5, 7, 10,
8, 6, 9, 4, 12, 8, 6. Now, Identify and compute the appropriate measure of dispersion using the step-by-step
process.
Learning Modules by PHINMA Education is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0
International License.
MAT 152: Mathematics in the Modern World
Module #9
Name: _________________________________________________________________ Class number: _______
Section: ____________ Schedule: ________________________________________ Date: ________________
D. CONCLUDE
D.1 Summary / Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the purpose of measuring dispersion?
● Dispersion is like looking at how close or far apart the numbers are in a group. If the numbers are all
bunched up together, we say there's low spread out. But if they're spread out all over the place, we call it
high dispersion. It helps us understand how the numbers are arranged and helps us make sense of them
better.
2. Why do we use standard deviation instead of variance?
● Standard deviation is easier to understand than variance because it gives us a number in the same units
as our data, making it simpler to see how spread out our information is.
3. What are the three tools used to assess variability?
● The three tools to assess variability are range, variance, and standard deviation. Range measures the
difference between the highest and lowest values, variance calculates the average squared differences
from the mean, and standard deviation gives the average distance of data points from the mean.
D. 2 Thinking about Learning
Good job students! Have you learned a lot? Let’s talk about your learning experience.
1 What parts were easy for you to do? Why do you think was this easy for you?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. What do you think will help you sustain or improve your effort and output for the next session?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
D. 3 Glossary of Terms
Symmetric Distribution: Imagine your numbers forming a mountain peak right in the middle. That's symmetric – balanced
on both sides.
Skewed Distribution: Now, picture your numbers not making a mountain but a slope instead, leaning more to one side.
That's skewed – not balanced.
Multimodal Distribution: Instead of one peak, imagine two or more bumps in your graph. That's multimodal – many peaks.
Outliers: Think of outliers as the odd ones out. They're the numbers that don't fit with the others, like a giant among a group
of regular-sized people.
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International License.
