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Section 16.5 · Statistics and probability

Comparing data sets and drawing conclusions

Compare two data sets using an average and a range, identify patterns and trends, and discuss conclusions and the sources of variation.

6 teaching slides 46 practice questions Worked answers for every question

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2 · Key words

compareSay how two data sets are alike and how they differ.
consistentVarying little; having a small range.
trendThe general direction data is moving in.
sampleThe part of a population actually surveyed.
biasA sample chosen in a way that makes it unrepresentative.
variationThe reasons readings differ from one another.

3 · Summary of the sectionrevise from this

  • To compare two data sets, quote an average and a range. Either one alone is half a comparison.
  • The average says what is typical; the range says how much it varies.
  • A smaller range means more consistent.
  • Write the comparison as a sentence about the situation, with the numbers in it.
  • A trend is the general direction. One dip does not end a rising trend.
  • A trend describes what has happened; it does not promise what comes next.
  • A small sample gives an unreliable conclusion — Unit 6's idea, used here.
  • A biased sample is worse than a small one: no amount of correct arithmetic can fix it.
  • Mention the sources of variation: the weather, the time of day, who was asked, how it was measured.
PDFPrintable worksheet All 46 questions, space to work PDFWorked answers Full solutions, not just the answer

Video lessons1 videos

Dual Bar Charts

British corbettmaths

Two data sets on one pair of axes — the picture for a comparison.

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4 · Practice46 questions, easiest first

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16.4 Reading charts and graphs
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End-of-unit {UNUM} test