The way you calculate it is that you just So what the range tells us isĮssentially how spread apart these numbers are, and Mid-range of the following sets of numbers. In statistics you're given the numbers and you have to figure out what kind of equation they describe. In ordinary math you're given the relationship of the equation and you just have to plug in the numbers. Do people going to the beach make the temperature go up? Or is it the other way around? In this example it is obvious, but lots of times it isn't. Sometimes there is a relationship, sometimes there is not, and even when there is a relationship it isn't aways easy to figure out what it is. In statistics you're basically given two or more variables (x, y, etc) and you have to figure out if there is a relationship among them. In ordinary mathematics you're given a relationship in the form of an equation (x+y = z) that you can then plug numbers into and get an answer. In this case there obviously is, but in other examples the relationship isn't so obvious.

For example, if the temperature goes up on the thermometer, and you count more people going to the beach, then you might want to determine whether there is a relationship between the two things.

Statistics attempt to establish the relationship between one or more measured things.

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