STATISTICS (Data Handling)

Statistics is a way to get information from data. Simply put, statistics makes sense of
numbers. We often refer to statistics as a decision-making science. Data plays the
central role in statistics.

• Data: The word data is the plural of the word datum which means “a piece of
information”, hence data can be referred to as a collection of information. This
data can be Qualitative or Quantitative.
1. Quantitative data is simply numerical data (our focus)
2. Qualitative data is interpretation based, descriptive, and relating to
language.

Types of quantitative
data

Discrete: Represents Continuous: can assume

exact figures you can any value within a
count, such as number of specified relevant interval
learners in a class of values.e.g height

The following are the data handling concepts we will focus on:

• Collection of data
• Organising and summarising data
• Representing data
• Interpreting data
• Analysing data

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e.g 1

e.g 2

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e.g 3

e.g 4 (grouped data)

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e.g 5

below are mathematics results for a test out of 25.

1. Determine the range of the mathematics test results.

2. Find the interquartile range of the mathematics test results.

Note: to determine the position of each quartile, we use the following formular.
𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒(𝑛+1)
𝑃𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑄 = 100
𝑸𝟏 - 25 percentile
th

𝑸𝟐 - 50th percentile
𝑸𝟑 - 75th percentile

25(𝑛+1) 25(23+1)
• 𝑃𝑄1 = = =6
100 100
Hence 𝑄1 = 13
50(𝑛+1) 50(23+1)
• 𝑃𝑄2 = = = 12
100 100
Hence 𝑄2 = 16
75(𝑛+1) 75(23+1)
• 𝑃𝑄3 = = = 18
100 100
Hence 𝑄3 = 20
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Therefore, Interquartile range = 𝑸𝟑 − 𝑸𝟏 = 𝟐𝟎 − 𝟏𝟑 = 𝟕

Five number summary and box and whisker plot

The box and whisker plot is a graphical representation of the five number summary.

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e.g 6 The table below shows the results of a grade 11 maths class

1. Determine the mean of the results

2. Determine the standard deviation
3. Determine the variance of the results.

Important intervals:

• One standard deviation of the mean: [ 𝒙

̅ − 𝝈 ;𝒙
̅ + 𝝈]
• Two standard deviation of the mean: [ 𝒙 ̅ + 𝟐𝝈], etc
̅ − 𝟐𝝈 ; 𝒙
4. Determine the percentage of learners whose marks lie within one standard
deviation of the mean.

e.g 7 Grouped data. Determine the standard deviation.

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 e.g 8 Determine the mean and standard deviation

ACTIVITY 1

QUESTION 1

The data below shows ages(in years) of people who visited the library between 08:00
and 09:00 on a certain morning.

3 4 4 5 23 29 32 36 40 47 56 66 68 76 82

1.1 Determine:
1.1.1 The mean age of the visitors
1.1.2 The median of the data
1.1.3 The interquartile range of the data
1.1.4 The standard deviation of the data
1.2 Draw a box and whisker diagram for the data.
1.3 Comment on the skewness of the data set.

QUESTION 2

The table below shows the weight (to the nearest kilogram) of each of the 27
participants in a weight-loss programme.

56 68 69 71 71 72 82 84 85
88 89 90 92 93 94 96 97 99
102 103 127 128 134 135 137 144 156
2.1 Calculate the range of the data.
2.2 Write down the mode of the data.
2.3 Determine the median of the data.
2.4 Determine the interquartile range of the data.
2.5 Draw the box and whisker diagram for the above data.
2.6 Determine the standard deviation of the data.
2.7 The person weighing 127 kg mentioned that she weighs more than one standard
deviation above the mean. Do you agree with this person? Motivate your answer.

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QUESTION 3

The employee bonuses (in Rands) earned by workers at coconut farm in Randfontein in
December 2020 were as follows:

50 49 45 51 52 50 46 48 47 48

51 49 47 50 50 51 47 52 46 47 49

3.1 List the five number summary.

3.2 Draw a box and whisker diagram to represent the data.
3.3 Use the diagram to comment on the spread of the data.

QUESTION 4

The following are salaries of 12 people, all doing the same job:

R 15 000 R 15 500 R 16 000

R 17 000 R17 000 R17 000

R 17 000 R 17 500 R 18 000

R 18 000 R 19 000 R 30 000

4.1 Determine:
4.1.1 The mean.
4.1.2 The standard deviation
4.1.3 The mode
4.2 Draw the box and whisker diagram of the data.
4.3 Identify an outlier(s) in this data set.
4.4 Which one of the statistical indicators, mean or mode, best represents the salary
paid for the job? Motivate.

QUESTION 5

5.1 Comment on the skewness of the data.

5.2 Write down the range of the marks obtained.
5.3 If the learners had to obtain 32 marks to pass the test, estimate the percentage of
the class that failed the test.

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5.4 In ascending order, the second mark is 28, the third mark 36 and the sixth mark 69.
The seventh and eighth marks are the same. The average mark for this test is 54.

Fill in the marks of the remaining learners in ascending order.

QUESTION 6

6.1 Calculate the mean of the data.

6.2 Determine the standard deviation.
6.3 Determine the number of times that the sum of the recorded values of the dice is
within one standard deviation from the mean.

QUESTION 7

7.1 Calculate the mean distance travelled by the sales representative.

7.2 Write down the five-number summary for this set of data.
7.3 Draw a box-and-Whisker diagram for this set of data.
7.4 Comment on the skewness of the data.

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7.5 Calculate the standard deviation of the distance travelled.
7.6 The sales representative discovered that his odometer was faulty. The actual
reading on each of the 21 days was 𝑝 more than that which was indicated. Write
down, in terms of 𝑝 (if applicable), the:
7.6.1 Actual mean.
7.6.2 Actual standard deviation.

QUESTION 8

8.1 Determine the interquartile range of Class A.

8.2 Compare the data from Class A and Class B. How are they alike?
8.3 Compare the data from Class A and Class B. How are they different?
8.4 Which class has more variability? Show calculations to support your answer.
8.5 Which class has a higher mean deviation? Explain your answer.

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Example 9

• The most frequent interval is referred to as the modal interval.

For the above, the modal interval is 40 ≤ 𝑇 ≤ 60

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 25(𝑛+1) 25(172+1)
• 𝑃𝑄1 = = = 43,25
100 100

50(𝑛+1) 50(172+1)
• 𝑃𝑄2 = = = 86,5
100 100

75(𝑛+1) 75(172+1)
• 𝑃𝑄3 = = = 129,75
100 100

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Example 10

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 • Determine the lower quartile, the median , and the upper quartile.
• How many learners spend more than R350 per month.
• Determine the estimated mean.

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Activity 2

QUESTION 1

1.1 Estimate the average weight loss, in grams, of the participants over the first 4
weeks.
1.2 Draw an ogive (cumulative frequency graph).
1.3 The weight loss programme guarantees a loss of 800 g per week if a person follows
the programme without cheating. Hence, determine how many of the participants
had a loss of 800g or more per week over the first 4 weeks.

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QUESTION 2

2.1 Complete the cumulative frequency column.

2.2 Draw the ogive of the data above.
2.3 Use the ogive to determine the median of the data.
2.4 Use the ogive to read how many learners scored above 50 marks.
Show your reading on the ogive by using the letter A.

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QUESTION 3

3.1 Estimate the number of people who took more than 15 minutes to leave the
auditorium.
3.2 Estimate the number of people who took between 8 and 12 minutes to leave the
auditorium.
3.3 Write down the modal class for the data.

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QUESTION 4

4.1 How many learners wrote the test?

4.2 How many learners scored at most 20 out of 60?
4.3 Determine the modal class.
4.4 Determine the inter-quartile range. Show your workings.
4.5 Draw the frequence table.

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QUESTION 4

4.1 Draw and complete the frequence table. (Including the cumulative frequency
column)
4.2 Draw the ogive of the data above
4.3 Use the ogive to determine the median time that customers spent at the
supermarket.
4.4 Determine the estimated mean
4.5 By referring to the relationship between the mean and the median, discuss the
distribution(skewness) of the data.

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QUESTION 5

5.1 How many learners wrote the test?

5.2 Determine the value of 𝑚 and 𝑛.
5.3 Redraw and complete the given table.
5.4 Draw a cumulative frequency curve(ogive).

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QUESTION 6

6.1 How many people paid R200 or less in their monthly cell phone contracts?
6.2 Use the information above to show that 𝑎 = 24 and 𝑏 = 16.
6.3 Write down the modal class for the data.
6.4 Draw the ogive to represent the data
6.5 Determine how many people paid more than R420 per month for their cellphone
contracts.

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