Measures of Central Tendency Mean The arithmetic mean of a data set x 1 , x 2 , … , x n x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_n x 1 , x 2 , … , x n :
x ˉ = 1 n ∑ i = 1 n x i = ∑ x i n \bar{x} = \frac{1}{n}\sum_{i=1}^{n} x_i = \frac{\sum x_i}{n} x ˉ = n 1 i = 1 ∑ n x i = n ∑ x i For grouped data with frequencies f i f_i f i :
x ˉ = ∑ f i x i ∑ f i \bar{x} = \frac{\sum f_i x_i}{\sum f_i} x ˉ = ∑ f i ∑ f i x i The median is the middle value when data is arranged in order.
If n n n is odd: median = x n + 1 2 = x_{\frac{n+1}{2}} = x 2 n + 1 If n n n is even: median = x n 2 + x n 2 + 1 2 = \dfrac{x_{\frac{n}{2}} + x_{\frac{n}{2}+1}}{2} = 2 x 2 n + x 2 n + 1 For grouped data, use linear interpolation within the median class.
Mode The mode is the most frequently occurring value. A data set can be unimodal, bimodal, or have no Mode.
Comparing Measures Measure Advantages Disadvantages Mean Uses all data points, algebraic properties Affected by outliers Median Robust to outliers Does not use all data Mode Simple, useful for categorical data May not exist or be unique
Example
Find the mean, median, and mode of: 3 , 5 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 12 , 15 , 45 3, 5, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 15, 45 3 , 5 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 12 , 15 , 45 .
Mean : x ˉ = 3 + 5 + 5 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 12 + 15 + 45 9 = 109 9 ≈ 12.1 \bar{x} = \dfrac{3+5+5+7+8+9+12+15+45}{9} = \dfrac{109}{9} \approx 12.1 x ˉ = 9 3 + 5 + 5 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 12 + 15 + 45 = 9 109 ≈ 12.1
Median : 5th value = 8 = 8 = 8
Mode : 5 5 5 (appears twice)
The mean (12.1) is significantly higher than the median (8) due to the outlier 45 45 45 .
Measures of Spread Range R a n g e = x max − x min \mathrm{Range} = x_{\max} - x_{\min} Range = x m a x − x m i n Interquartile Range (IQR) I Q R = Q 3 − Q 1 \mathrm{IQR} = Q_3 - Q_1 IQR = Q 3 − Q 1 Where Q 1 Q_1 Q 1 is the first quartile (25th percentile) and Q 3 Q_3 Q 3 is the third quartile (75th Percentile).
Variance The variance measures the average squared deviation from the mean.
Population variance :
σ 2 = 1 N ∑ i = 1 N ( x i − μ ) 2 \sigma^2 = \frac{1}{N}\sum_{i=1}^{N}(x_i - \mu)^2 σ 2 = N 1 i = 1 ∑ N ( x i − μ ) 2 Sample variance (unbiased estimator):
S 2 = 1 n − 1 ∑ i = 1 n ( x i − x ˉ ) 2 S^2 = \frac{1}{n-1}\sum_{i=1}^{n}(x_i - \bar{x})^2 S 2 = n − 1 1 i = 1 ∑ n ( x i − x ˉ ) 2 Standard Deviation σ = σ 2 o r s = s 2 \sigma = \sqrt{\sigma^2} \quad \mathrm{or} \quad s = \sqrt{s^2} σ = σ 2 or s = s 2 S 2 = ∑ x i 2 − n x ˉ 2 n − 1 = n ∑ x i 2 − ( ∑ x i ) 2 n ( n − 1 ) S^2 = \frac{\sum x_i^2 - n\bar{x}^2}{n - 1} = \frac{n\sum x_i^2 - (\sum x_i)^2}{n(n-1)} S 2 = n − 1 ∑ x i 2 − n x ˉ 2 = n ( n − 1 ) n ∑ x i 2 − ( ∑ x i ) 2 Example
Calculate the standard deviation of: 4 , 8 , 6 , 5 , 3 , 8 , 9 , 2 , 7 4, 8, 6, 5, 3, 8, 9, 2, 7 4 , 8 , 6 , 5 , 3 , 8 , 9 , 2 , 7 .
N = 9 , x ˉ = 52 9 ≈ 5.778 N = 9, \quad \bar{x} = \frac{52}{9} \approx 5.778 N = 9 , x ˉ = 9 52 ≈ 5.778 ∑ x i 2 = 16 + 64 + 36 + 25 + 9 + 64 + 81 + 4 + 49 = 348 \sum x_i^2 = 16 + 64 + 36 + 25 + 9 + 64 + 81 + 4 + 49 = 348 ∑ x i 2 = 16 + 64 + 36 + 25 + 9 + 64 + 81 + 4 + 49 = 348 S 2 = 348 − 9 × ( 52 / 9 ) 2 9 − 1 = 348 − 300.44 8 = 47.56 8 = 5.944 S^2 = \frac{348 - 9 \times (52/9)^2}{9 - 1} = \frac{348 - 300.44}{8} = \frac{47.56}{8} = 5.944 S 2 = 9 − 1 348 − 9 × ( 52/9 ) 2 = 8 348 − 300.44 = 8 47.56 = 5.944 S ≈ 2.438 S \approx 2.438 S ≈ 2.438 Exam Tip
Know whether to use the population formula (÷ N \div N ÷ N ) or the sample formula (÷ ( n − 1 ) \div (n-1) ÷ ( n − 1 ) ). In IB Exams, when data is from a sample, use s 2 s^2 s 2 (dividing by n − 1 n-1 n − 1 ). Your GDC uses the sample Formula by default.
Grouped Data Estimating the Mean from Grouped Data Use the midpoint of each class interval:
x ˉ ≈ ∑ f i m i ∑ f i \bar{x} \approx \frac{\sum f_i m_i}{\sum f_i} x ˉ ≈ ∑ f i ∑ f i m i Where m i m_i m i is the midpoint of class i i i .
Use linear interpolation within the median class:
M e d i a n ≈ L + ( n 2 − F f ) × w \mathrm{Median} \approx L + \left(\frac{\frac{n}{2} - F}{f}\right) \times w Median ≈ L + ( f 2 n − F ) × w Where:
L L L = lower boundary of median classn n n = total frequencyF F F = cumulative frequency before median classf f f = frequency of median classw w w = class widthExample
Mass (g) Frequency 0 ≤ m < 20 0 \le m \lt 20 0 ≤ m < 20 5 20 ≤ m < 40 20 \le m \lt 40 20 ≤ m < 40 12 40 ≤ m < 60 40 \le m \lt 60 40 ≤ m < 60 18 60 ≤ m < 80 60 \le m \lt 80 60 ≤ m < 80 10 80 ≤ m < 100 80 \le m \lt 100 80 ≤ m < 100 5
Total n = 50 n = 50 n = 50 . Median position = 50 2 = 25 = \dfrac{50}{2} = 25 = 2 50 = 25 .
Cumulative frequencies: 5 , 17 , 35 , 45 , 50 5, 17, 35, 45, 50 5 , 17 , 35 , 45 , 50 .
Median is in the 40 ≤ m < 60 40 \le m \lt 60 40 ≤ m < 60 class (F = 17 F = 17 F = 17 , f = 18 f = 18 f = 18 ).
M e d i a n ≈ 40 + ( 25 − 17 18 ) × 20 = 40 + 8 18 × 20 = 40 + 8.89 = 48.89 g \mathrm{Median} \approx 40 + \left(\frac{25 - 17}{18}\right) \times 20 = 40 + \frac{8}{18} \times 20 = 40 + 8.89 = 48.89 \mathrm{ g} Median ≈ 40 + ( 18 25 − 17 ) × 20 = 40 + 18 8 × 20 = 40 + 8.89 = 48.89 g Box-and-Whisker Plots Components A box-and-whisker plot displays the five-number summary :
Minimum (or lower whisker)Q 1 Q_1 Q 1 (first quartile)Median (Q 2 Q_2 Q 2 )Q 3 Q_3 Q 3 (third quartile)Maximum (or upper whisker)Outliers A value is a potential outlier if it falls outside:
Q 1 − 1.5 × I Q R o r Q 3 + 1.5 × I Q R Q_1 - 1.5 \times \mathrm{IQR} \quad \mathrm{or} \quad Q_3 + 1.5 \times \mathrm{IQR} Q 1 − 1.5 × IQR or Q 3 + 1.5 × IQR Interpreting Box Plots The box represents the middle 50% of data (IQR). The line inside the box is the median. Whiskers extend to the minimum and maximum (or to the most extreme non-outlier values).Skewness : if the median is closer to Q 1 Q_1 Q 1 The data is right-skewed (positively skewed). If closer to Q 3 Q_3 Q 3 Left-skewed (negatively skewed).Cumulative Frequency Cumulative Frequency Graph (Ogive) Plot cumulative frequency against the upper class boundary. From this graph, you can read:
Median: at n 2 \dfrac{n}{2} 2 n Quartiles: at n 4 \dfrac{n}{4} 4 n and 3 n 4 \dfrac{3n}{4} 4 3 n Percentiles: at the appropriate fraction of n n n Example
Using the grouped data from the previous example:
Upper boundary Cumulative frequency 20 5 40 17 60 35 80 45 100 50
To find Q 1 Q_1 Q 1 (at 12.5 12.5 12.5 ): interpolate between ( 20 , 5 ) (20, 5) ( 20 , 5 ) and ( 40 , 17 ) (40, 17) ( 40 , 17 ) .
Q 1 ≈ 20 + 12.5 − 5 17 − 5 × 20 = 20 + 12.5 = 32.5 g Q_1 \approx 20 + \frac{12.5 - 5}{17 - 5} \times 20 = 20 + 12.5 = 32.5 \mathrm{ g} Q 1 ≈ 20 + 17 − 5 12.5 − 5 × 20 = 20 + 12.5 = 32.5 g Correlation Scatter Diagrams A scatter diagram plots two variables to visually assess the relationship between them.
Pearson”s Correlation Coefficient (r r r ) Measures the strength and direction of the linear relationship between two variables.
R = ∑ ( x i − x ˉ ) ( y i − y ˉ ) ∑ ( x i − x ˉ ) 2 ∑ ( y i − y ˉ ) 2 R = \frac{\sum(x_i - \bar{x})(y_i - \bar{y})}{\sqrt{\sum(x_i - \bar{x})^2 \sum(y_i - \bar{y})^2}} R = ∑ ( x i − x ˉ ) 2 ∑ ( y i − y ˉ ) 2 ∑ ( x i − x ˉ ) ( y i − y ˉ ) Properties of r r r Value Interpretation r = 1 r = 1 r = 1 Perfect positive linear correlation r = − 1 r = -1 r = − 1 Perfect negative linear correlation r = 0 r = 0 r = 0 No linear correlation 0 < r < 1 0 \lt r \lt 1 0 < r < 1 Positive linear correlation − 1 < r < 0 -1 \lt r \lt 0 − 1 < r < 0 Negative linear correlation
Strength Guidelines $ r $ Strength 0.0 0.0 0.0 —0.3 0.3 0.3 Weak 0.3 0.3 0.3 —0.7 0.7 0.7 Moderate 0.7 0.7 0.7 —1.0 1.0 1.0 Strong
R = n ∑ x i y i − ∑ x i ∑ y i [ n ∑ x i 2 − ( ∑ x i ) 2 ] [ n ∑ y i 2 − ( ∑ y i ) 2 ] R = \frac{n\sum x_iy_i - \sum x_i \sum y_i}{\sqrt{[n\sum x_i^2 - (\sum x_i)^2][n\sum y_i^2 - (\sum y_i)^2]}} R = [ n ∑ x i 2 − ( ∑ x i ) 2 ] [ n ∑ y i 2 − ( ∑ y i ) 2 ] n ∑ x i y i − ∑ x i ∑ y i Exam Tip
Correlation does NOT imply causation. Two variables may be strongly correlated without one causing The other (they may both be influenced by a third variable).
Linear Regression Least Squares Regression Line The line of best fit minimises the sum of squared residuals:
Y = a + b x Y = a + bx Y = a + b x Where:
B = ∑ ( x i − x ˉ ) ( y i − y ˉ ) ∑ ( x i − x ˉ ) 2 = n ∑ x i y i − ∑ x i ∑ y i n ∑ x i 2 − ( ∑ x i ) 2 B = \frac{\sum(x_i - \bar{x})(y_i - \bar{y})}{\sum(x_i - \bar{x})^2} = \frac{n\sum x_iy_i - \sum x_i \sum y_i}{n\sum x_i^2 - (\sum x_i)^2} B = ∑ ( x i − x ˉ ) 2 ∑ ( x i − x ˉ ) ( y i − y ˉ ) = n ∑ x i 2 − ( ∑ x i ) 2 n ∑ x i y i − ∑ x i ∑ y i A = y ˉ − b x ˉ A = \bar{y} - b\bar{x} A = y ˉ − b x ˉ Regression Line of x x x on y y y If predicting x x x from y y y :
X = a ′ + b ′ y X = a' + b'y X = a ′ + b ′ y B ′ = n ∑ x i y i − ∑ x i ∑ y i n ∑ y i 2 − ( ∑ y i ) 2 B' = \frac{n\sum x_iy_i - \sum x_i \sum y_i}{n\sum y_i^2 - (\sum y_i)^2} B ′ = n ∑ y i 2 − ( ∑ y i ) 2 n ∑ x i y i − ∑ x i ∑ y i Coefficient of Determination (r 2 r^2 r 2 ) R 2 = e x p l a i n e d v a r i a t i o n t o t a l v a r i a t i o n R^2 = \frac{\mathrm{explained variation}}{\mathrm{total variation}} R 2 = totalvariation explainedvariation r 2 r^2 r 2 represents the proportion of variance in y y y explained by the linear relationship with x x x .
r 2 = 1 r^2 = 1 r 2 = 1 : the line explains all the variation.r 2 = 0 r^2 = 0 r 2 = 0 : the line explains none of the variation.Example
Given the data:
x x x 1 2 3 4 5 y y y 2.1 3.9 6.2 7.8 10.1
Find the regression line of y y y on x x x .
N = 5 , ∑ x = 15 , ∑ y = 30.1 N = 5, \quad \sum x = 15, \quad \sum y = 30.1 N = 5 , ∑ x = 15 , ∑ y = 30.1 ∑ x 2 = 55 , ∑ x y = 110.2 \sum x^2 = 55, \quad \sum xy = 110.2 ∑ x 2 = 55 , ∑ x y = 110.2 B = 5 ( 110.2 ) − 15 ( 30.1 ) 5 ( 55 ) − 225 = 551 − 451.5 275 − 225 = 99.5 50 = 1.99 B = \frac{5(110.2) - 15(30.1)}{5(55) - 225} = \frac{551 - 451.5}{275 - 225} = \frac{99.5}{50} = 1.99 B = 5 ( 55 ) − 225 5 ( 110.2 ) − 15 ( 30.1 ) = 275 − 225 551 − 451.5 = 50 99.5 = 1.99 y ˉ = 6.02 , x ˉ = 3 \bar{y} = 6.02, \quad \bar{x} = 3 y ˉ = 6.02 , x ˉ = 3 A = 6.02 − 1.99 ( 3 ) = 6.02 − 5.97 = 0.05 A = 6.02 - 1.99(3) = 6.02 - 5.97 = 0.05 A = 6.02 − 1.99 ( 3 ) = 6.02 − 5.97 = 0.05 Regression line: y = 0.05 + 1.99 x y = 0.05 + 1.99x y = 0.05 + 1.99 x .
Extrapolation and Interpolation Interpolation : predicting within the range of data (generally reliable).Extrapolation : predicting outside the range of data (unreliable and potentially misleading). Exam Tip
Never extrapolate beyond the data range without acknowledging the uncertainty. IB exam questions Often ask you to comment on the reliability of a prediction.
Hypothesis Testing Key Concepts Null hypothesis (H 0 H_0 H 0 ): The statement being tested ( “no effect” or “no difference”).Alternative hypothesis (H 1 H_1 H 1 ): The statement we suspect might be true.Significance level (α \alpha α ): The threshold for rejecting H 0 H_0 H 0 (commonly 0.05 or 0.01).Test statistic : A value computed from the sample data.p p p -value : The probability of observing the test statistic (or more extreme) assuming H 0 H_0 H 0 is true.Critical value : The boundary value(s) that define the rejection region.Decision Rule If p p p -value < α \lt \alpha < α : reject H 0 H_0 H 0 . If p p p -value ≥ α \ge \alpha ≥ α : do not reject H 0 H_0 H 0 . Types of Errors Error Type Description Type I Rejecting H 0 H_0 H 0 when it is true (false positive). Probability = α = \alpha = α . Type II Failing to reject H 0 H_0 H 0 when it is false (false negative). Probability = β = \beta = β .
One-Tailed vs Two-Tailed Tests Test H 1 H_1 H 1 Rejection Region Two-tailed Parameter ≠ \neq = value Both tails Right-tailed Parameter > \gt > value Upper tail Left-tailed Parameter < \lt < value Lower tail
Hypothesis Test for Correlation To test whether the population correlation coefficient ρ \rho ρ is zero:
H 0 : ρ = 0 H_0: \rho = 0 H 0 : ρ = 0 and H 1 : ρ ≠ 0 H_1: \rho \neq 0 H 1 : ρ = 0 (or ρ > 0 \rho \gt 0 ρ > 0 or ρ < 0 \rho \lt 0 ρ < 0 ).Compute r r r from the sample. Compare ∣ r ∣ |r| ∣ r ∣ with the critical value (or compute the p p p -value). Make a conclusion. The test statistic for large samples (n > 30 n \gt 30 n > 30 ):
T = r n − 2 1 − r 2 T = r\sqrt{\frac{n-2}{1-r^2}} T = r 1 − r 2 n − 2 Which follows a t t t -distribution with n − 2 n - 2 n − 2 degrees of freedom.
Example
A sample of 12 students gives a correlation coefficient of r = 0.85 r = 0.85 r = 0.85 between hours studied and exam Score. Test at the 5% significance level whether there is a positive correlation.
H 0 : ρ = 0 H_0: \rho = 0 H 0 : ρ = 0 vs H 1 : ρ > 0 H_1: \rho \gt 0 H 1 : ρ > 0 .
This is a one-tailed test. The critical value for n = 12 n = 12 n = 12 at 5% level is approximately 0.497 0.497 0.497 .
Since r = 0.85 > 0.497 r = 0.85 \gt 0.497 r = 0.85 > 0.497 We reject H 0 H_0 H 0 .
There is sufficient evidence at the 5% level to conclude a positive correlation between hours Studied and exam score.
Chi-Squared Test for Independence Used to determine whether two categorical variables are independent.
Test statistic :
χ 2 = ∑ ( O i − E i ) 2 E i \chi^2 = \sum \frac{(O_i - E_i)^2}{E_i} χ 2 = ∑ E i ( O i − E i ) 2 Where O i O_i O i are observed frequencies and E i E_i E i are expected frequencies.
Expected frequency :
E_`\{ij}` = \frac{(\mathrm{row } i \mathrm{ total}) \times (\mathrm{column } j \mathrm{ total})}{\mathrm{grand total}} Degrees of freedom : ν = ( r − 1 ) ( c − 1 ) \nu = (r-1)(c-1) ν = ( r − 1 ) ( c − 1 ) where r r r is the number of rows and c c c is the number of Columns.
Example
Test whether gender and favourite subject are independent:
Maths Science English Total Male 30 25 15 70 Female 20 20 40 80 Total 50 45 55 150
Expected frequencies:
E ( M a l e , M a t h s ) = 70 × 50 150 = 23.33 E(\mathrm{Male, Maths}) = \dfrac{70 \times 50}{150} = 23.33 E ( Male , Maths ) = 150 70 × 50 = 23.33
E ( M a l e , S c i e n c e ) = 70 × 45 150 = 21.00 E(\mathrm{Male, Science}) = \dfrac{70 \times 45}{150} = 21.00 E ( Male , Science ) = 150 70 × 45 = 21.00
E ( M a l e , E n g l i s h ) = 70 × 55 150 = 25.67 E(\mathrm{Male, English}) = \dfrac{70 \times 55}{150} = 25.67 E ( Male , English ) = 150 70 × 55 = 25.67
E ( F e m a l e , M a t h s ) = 80 × 50 150 = 26.67 E(\mathrm{Female, Maths}) = \dfrac{80 \times 50}{150} = 26.67 E ( Female , Maths ) = 150 80 × 50 = 26.67
E ( F e m a l e , S c i e n c e ) = 80 × 45 150 = 24.00 E(\mathrm{Female, Science}) = \dfrac{80 \times 45}{150} = 24.00 E ( Female , Science ) = 150 80 × 45 = 24.00
E ( F e m a l e , E n g l i s h ) = 80 × 55 150 = 29.33 E(\mathrm{Female, English}) = \dfrac{80 \times 55}{150} = 29.33 E ( Female , English ) = 150 80 × 55 = 29.33
χ 2 = ( 30 − 23.33 ) 2 23.33 + ( 25 − 21 ) 2 21 + ( 15 − 25.67 ) 2 25.67 + ( 20 − 26.67 ) 2 26.67 + ( 20 − 24 ) 2 24 + ( 40 − 29.33 ) 2 29.33 \chi^2 = \frac{(30-23.33)^2}{23.33} + \frac{(25-21)^2}{21} + \frac{(15-25.67)^2}{25.67} + \frac{(20-26.67)^2}{26.67} + \frac{(20-24)^2}{24} + \frac{(40-29.33)^2}{29.33} χ 2 = 23.33 ( 30 − 23.33 ) 2 + 21 ( 25 − 21 ) 2 + 25.67 ( 15 − 25.67 ) 2 + 26.67 ( 20 − 26.67 ) 2 + 24 ( 20 − 24 ) 2 + 29.33 ( 40 − 29.33 ) 2 = 1.91 + 0.76 + 4.44 + 1.67 + 0.67 + 3.88 = 13.33 = 1.91 + 0.76 + 4.44 + 1.67 + 0.67 + 3.88 = 13.33 = 1.91 + 0.76 + 4.44 + 1.67 + 0.67 + 3.88 = 13.33 Degrees of freedom: ( 2 − 1 ) ( 3 − 1 ) = 2 (2-1)(3-1) = 2 ( 2 − 1 ) ( 3 − 1 ) = 2 .
Critical value at α = 0.05 \alpha = 0.05 α = 0.05 with ν = 2 \nu = 2 ν = 2 : 5.99 5.99 5.99 .
Since 13.33 > 5.99 13.33 \gt 5.99 13.33 > 5.99 We reject H 0 H_0 H 0 . Gender and favourite subject are not independent.
Exam Tip
For the chi-squared test, always check that all expected frequencies are at least 5. If any E i < 5 E_i \lt 5 E i < 5 Combine categories or note the limitation.
IB Exam-Style Questions Question 1 (Paper 1 style) The marks of 8 students in Maths and Physics are:
Student Maths (x x x ) Physics (y y y ) A72 68 B85 82 C60 58 D90 88 E78 74 F65 70 G88 85 H76 72
(a) Calculate Pearson’s correlation coefficient.
Using a GDC: r ≈ 0.960 r \approx 0.960 r ≈ 0.960 .
(b) Interpret this value.
There is a very strong positive linear correlation between Maths and Physics marks.
(c) Find the equation of the regression line of y y y on x x x .
Using a GDC: y ≈ 5.10 + 0.917 x y \approx 5.10 + 0.917x y ≈ 5.10 + 0.917 x .
Question 2 (Paper 2 style) The reaction times (in seconds) of 20 drivers were measured:
0.42, 0.55, 0.61, 0.48, 0.72, 0.38, 0.65, 0.51, 0.44, 0.59, 0.67, 0.53, 0.46, 0.71, 0.39, 0.58, 0.63, 0.50, 0.57, 0.66
(a) Find the mean and standard deviation.
x ˉ ≈ 0.555 \bar{x} \approx 0.555 x ˉ ≈ 0.555 , s ≈ 0.099 s \approx 0.099 s ≈ 0.099 .
(b) Construct a box-and-whisker plot.
Ordered data: 0.38, 0.39, 0.42, 0.44, 0.46, 0.48, 0.50, 0.51, 0.53, 0.55, 0.57, 0.58, 0.59, 0.61, 0.63, 0.65, 0.66, 0.67, 0.71, 0.72.
Median: 0.55 + 0.57 2 = 0.56 \dfrac{0.55 + 0.57}{2} = 0.56 2 0.55 + 0.57 = 0.56 .
Q 1 Q_1 Q 1 : median of lower half = 0.46 + 0.48 2 = 0.47 = \dfrac{0.46 + 0.48}{2} = 0.47 = 2 0.46 + 0.48 = 0.47 .
Q 3 Q_3 Q 3 : median of upper half = 0.63 + 0.65 2 = 0.64 = \dfrac{0.63 + 0.65}{2} = 0.64 = 2 0.63 + 0.65 = 0.64 .
I Q R = 0.64 − 0.47 = 0.17 \mathrm{IQR} = 0.64 - 0.47 = 0.17 IQR = 0.64 − 0.47 = 0.17 .
Lower fence: 0.47 − 1.5 ( 0.17 ) = 0.215 0.47 - 1.5(0.17) = 0.215 0.47 − 1.5 ( 0.17 ) = 0.215 . Minimum = 0.38 = 0.38 = 0.38 .
Upper fence: 0.64 + 1.5 ( 0.17 ) = 0.895 0.64 + 1.5(0.17) = 0.895 0.64 + 1.5 ( 0.17 ) = 0.895 . Maximum = 0.72 = 0.72 = 0.72 .
No outliers.
Question 3 (Paper 1 style) A researcher claims that the mean height of a population is 170 c m 170\mathrm{ cm} 170 cm . A sample of 25 people Gives x ˉ = 173 c m \bar{x} = 173\mathrm{ cm} x ˉ = 173 cm with s = 8 c m s = 8\mathrm{ cm} s = 8 cm . Test this claim at the 5% significance Level.
H 0 : μ = 170 H_0: \mu = 170 H 0 : μ = 170 vs H 1 : μ ≠ 170 H_1: \mu \neq 170 H 1 : μ = 170 .
T = x ˉ − μ 0 s / n = 173 − 170 8 / 25 = 3 1.6 = 1.875 T = \frac{\bar{x} - \mu_0}{s/\sqrt{n}} = \frac{173 - 170}{8/\sqrt{25}} = \frac{3}{1.6} = 1.875 T = s / n x ˉ − μ 0 = 8/ 25 173 − 170 = 1.6 3 = 1.875 Degrees of freedom = 24 = 24 = 24 .
Critical value (two-tailed, 5%) ≈ 2.064 \approx 2.064 ≈ 2.064 .
Since ∣ 1.875 ∣ < 2.064 |1.875| \lt 2.064 ∣1.875∣ < 2.064 We do not reject H 0 H_0 H 0 .
There is insufficient evidence at the 5% level to reject the claim that the mean height is 170 c m 170\mathrm{ cm} 170 cm .
Summary Concept Formula Mean x ˉ = ∑ x i n \bar{x} = \dfrac{\sum x_i}{n} x ˉ = n ∑ x i Sample variance s 2 = ∑ ( x i − x ˉ ) 2 n − 1 s^2 = \dfrac{\sum(x_i - \bar{x})^2}{n-1} s 2 = n − 1 ∑ ( x i − x ˉ ) 2 IQR Q 3 − Q 1 Q_3 - Q_1 Q 3 − Q 1 Correlation r = n ∑ x i y i − ∑ x i ∑ y i [ n ∑ x i 2 − ( ∑ x i ) 2 ] [ n ∑ y i 2 − ( ∑ y i ) 2 ] r = \dfrac{n\sum x_iy_i - \sum x_i \sum y_i}{\sqrt{[n\sum x_i^2 - (\sum x_i)^2][n\sum y_i^2 - (\sum y_i)^2]}} r = [ n ∑ x i 2 − ( ∑ x i ) 2 ] [ n ∑ y i 2 − ( ∑ y i ) 2 ] n ∑ x i y i − ∑ x i ∑ y i Regression slope b = n ∑ x i y i − ∑ x i ∑ y i n ∑ x i 2 − ( ∑ x i ) 2 b = \dfrac{n\sum x_iy_i - \sum x_i \sum y_i}{n\sum x_i^2 - (\sum x_i)^2} b = n ∑ x i 2 − ( ∑ x i ) 2 n ∑ x i y i − ∑ x i ∑ y i Chi-squared χ 2 = ∑ ( O i − E i ) 2 E i \chi^2 = \displaystyle\sum \dfrac{(O_i - E_i)^2}{E_i} χ 2 = ∑ E i ( O i − E i ) 2
Exam Strategy
For …/4-statistics-and-probability/2_statistics questions in Paper 2, always show your working. State hypotheses for Hypothesis tests. When using your GDC, note what function you used and the inputs. Interpret results In context — never leave a numerical answer without explaining what it means.
If every data value is transformed by y i = a x i + b y_i = ax_i + b y i = a x i + b :
| Statistic | Original | Transformed | | ----------------------- | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------ | --- | ------------ | | Mean | x ˉ \bar{x} x ˉ | a x ˉ + b a\bar{x} + b a x ˉ + b | | | | Standard deviation | s x s_x s x | ∣ a ∣ s x | a | s_x ∣ a ∣ s x | | Variance | s x 2 s_x^2 s x 2 | a 2 s x 2 a^2 s_x^2 a 2 s x 2 | | | | Median | Q 2 Q_2 Q 2 | a Q 2 + b aQ_2 + b a Q 2 + b | | | | IQR | Q 3 − Q 1 Q_3 - Q_1 Q 3 − Q 1 | ∣ a ∣ ( Q 3 − Q 1 ) | a | (Q_3 - Q_1) ∣ a ∣ ( Q 3 − Q 1 ) | | Correlation coefficient | r r r | r r r (unchanged if a > 0 a \gt 0 a > 0 Negated if a < 0 a \lt 0 a < 0 ) | | |
Standardised Scores (z-scores) The z-score measures how many standard deviations a value is from the mean:
Z = x − x ˉ s Z = \frac{x - \bar{x}}{s} Z = s x − x ˉ Example
In a test with mean 65 and standard deviation 8, a student scores 81. Find the z-score.
Z = 81 − 65 8 = 2.0 Z = \frac{81 - 65}{8} = 2.0 Z = 8 81 − 65 = 2.0 The student scored 2 standard deviations above the mean.
Non-Linear Regression When data shows a non-linear pattern, transform the variables to linearise:
Relationship Transformation Linear Form y = a x b y = a x^b y = a x b log y = log a + b log x \log y = \log a + b \log x log y = log a + b log x Plot log y \log y log y vs log x \log x log x y = a e b x y = a e^{bx} y = a e b x ln y = ln a + b x \ln y = \ln a + bx ln y = ln a + b x Plot ln y \ln y ln y vs x x x y = a + b ln x y = a + b\ln x y = a + b ln x y = a + b ln x y = a + b\ln x y = a + b ln x Plot y y y vs ln x \ln x ln x y = a x + b y = \frac{a}{x} + b y = x a + b y = a ( 1 x ) + b y = a\!\left(\frac{1}{x}\right) + b y = a ( x 1 ) + b Plot y y y vs 1 / x 1/x 1/ x
Power Law If log y \log y log y vs log x \log x log x gives a straight line, then y = a x b y = ax^b y = a x b where:
b b b is the gradientlog a \log a log a is the y y y -interceptExponential Law If ln y \ln y ln y vs x x x gives a straight line, then y = a e b x y = ae^{bx} y = a e b x where:
b b b is the gradientln a \ln a ln a is the y y y -interceptExample
Data suggests y y y is related to x x x by y = a x b y = ax^b y = a x b . A plot of log y \log y log y vs log x \log x log x has gradient 1.5 1.5 1.5 And y y y -intercept 0.7 0.7 0.7 . Find the relationship.
B = 1.5 , log a = 0.7 ⟹ a = 10 0.7 ≈ 5.01 B = 1.5, \quad \log a = 0.7 \implies a = 10^{0.7} \approx 5.01 B = 1.5 , log a = 0.7 ⟹ a = 1 0 0.7 ≈ 5.01 Y ≈ 5.01 x 1.5 Y \approx 5.01x^{1.5} Y ≈ 5.01 x 1.5 Additional Exam-Style Questions Question 4 (Paper 2 style) Two groups of students took a test. The results are summarised below:
Group A: n = 30$$\bar{x} = 72$$s = 8
Group B: n = 25$$\bar{x} = 68$$s = 10
(a) Find the overall mean.
x ˉ o v e r a l l = 30 × 72 + 25 × 68 55 = 2160 + 1700 55 = 3860 55 = 70.2 \bar{x}_{\mathrm{overall}} = \frac{30 \times 72 + 25 \times 68}{55} = \frac{2160 + 1700}{55} = \frac{3860}{55} = 70.2 x ˉ overall = 55 30 × 72 + 25 × 68 = 55 2160 + 1700 = 55 3860 = 70.2 (b) Comment on the spread of the two groups.
Group B has a larger standard deviation (10 vs 8), meaning the scores are more spread out in Group B. Group A’s scores are more tightly clustered around the mean.
Question 5 (Paper 2 style) A scientist investigates the relationship between temperature (x x x In ° \degree ° C) and reaction rate (y y y In mol/L/s). The following data was collected:
x x x 10 20 30 40 50 60 y y y 0.4 1.1 2.5 5.2 10.8 22.0
(a) Explain why a linear regression model may not be appropriate.
The data appears to show exponential growth — as temperature increases, the rate increases by an Increasing amount. A plot of y y y vs x x x would show a curve, not a straight line.
(b) By plotting ln y \ln y ln y against x x x Determine whether the relationship is of the form y = a e b x y = ae^{bx} y = a e b x .
x x x 10 20 30 40 50 60 ln y \ln y ln y − 0.916 -0.916 − 0.916 0.095 0.095 0.095 0.916 0.916 0.916 1.649 1.649 1.649 2.380 2.380 2.380 3.091 3.091 3.091
A plot of ln y \ln y ln y vs x x x would show an approximately linear relationship with a positive gradient, Confirming the exponential model is appropriate.
(c) Using a GDC, find the equation of the regression line of ln y \ln y ln y on x x x .
The regression gives approximately ln y = − 1.40 + 0.074 x \ln y = -1.40 + 0.074x ln y = − 1.40 + 0.074 x .
So y = e − 1.40 e 0.074 x ≈ 0.247 e 0.074 x y = e^{-1.40}e^{0.074x} \approx 0.247e^{0.074x} y = e − 1.40 e 0.074 x ≈ 0.247 e 0.074 x .
Question 6 (Paper 1 style) The correlation coefficient between study hours and exam scores for 50 students is r = 0.72 r = 0.72 r = 0.72 .
(a) Calculate the coefficient of determination and interpret it.
R 2 = 0.5184 R^2 = 0.5184 R 2 = 0.5184 About 51.8 % 51.8\% 51.8% of the variation in exam scores is explained by the linear relationship with study Hours.
(b) The p p p -value for testing H 0 : ρ = 0 H_0: \rho = 0 H 0 : ρ = 0 is 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 . What conclusion can be drawn?
Since p = 0.0001 < 0.05 p = 0.0001 \lt 0.05 p = 0.0001 < 0.05 We reject H 0 H_0 H 0 . There is strong evidence of a positive correlation Between study hours and exam scores.
Measures of Shape: Skewness and Kurtosis Skewness Skewness measures the asymmetry of the distribution.
Type Description Mean vs Median Positive (right) skew Long tail to the right Mean > \gt > Median Negative (left) skew Long tail to the left Mean < \lt < Median Symmetric No skew Mean = Median
The Pearson coefficient of skewness :
S k e w n e s s = 3 ( x ˉ − Q 2 ) s \mathrm{Skewness} = \frac{3(\bar{x} - Q_2)}{s} Skewness = s 3 ( x ˉ − Q 2 ) Kurtosis Kurtosis measures the “tailedness” of the distribution compared to a normal distribution.
Type Description Leptokurtic Heavy tails, sharp peak (kurtosis > 3 \gt 3 > 3 ) Mesokurtic Same as normal (kurtosis = 3 = 3 = 3 ) Platykurtic Light tails, flat peak (kurtosis < 3 \lt 3 < 3 )
Standardised Scores and Normal Distribution Tables Using z-Scores Given a population with mean μ \mu μ and standard deviation σ \sigma σ :
Convert raw score to z-score: z = x − μ σ z = \dfrac{x - \mu}{\sigma} z = σ x − μ Use the standard normal table (or GDC) to find probabilities. Convert back: x = μ + z σ x = \mu + z\sigma x = μ + z σ Finding Percentiles The p p p -th percentile is the value below which p % p\% p % of the data falls.
X p = μ + z p ⋅ σ X_p = \mu + z_p \cdot \sigma X p = μ + z p ⋅ σ Where z p z_p z p is the z-score such that P ( Z < z p ) = p / 100 P(Z \lt z_p) = p/100 P ( Z < z p ) = p /100 .
Example
Scores on a test are normally distributed with μ = 72 \mu = 72 μ = 72 and σ = 8 \sigma = 8 σ = 8 . Find the 90th Percentile.
Z 0.90 = 1.282 Z_{0.90} = 1.282 Z 0.90 = 1.282 X 90 = 72 + 1.282 × 8 = 72 + 10.26 = 82.26 X_{90} = 72 + 1.282 \times 8 = 72 + 10.26 = 82.26 X 90 = 72 + 1.282 × 8 = 72 + 10.26 = 82.26 A score of 82.26 is at the 90th percentile.
Data Collection Methods Types of Data Type Description Examples Qualitative (categorical) Labels or names Colour, gender, nationality Quantitative Numerical Height, mass, temperature Discrete Integer values Number of siblings, goals scored Continuous Any value in a range Height, time, mass
Sampling Methods Method Description Advantages Disadvantages Simple random Every member has equal chance Unbiased Difficult for large populations Systematic Every k k k -th member selected Easy to implement May be periodic bias Stratified Population divided into strata Ensures representation Complex to organise Quota Fixed numbers from each group Quick Not random Convenience accessible members Easy Likely biased
Reliability and Validity Reliability : consistency of measurements (repeatable).Validity : measures what it claims to measure.A measurement can be reliable without being valid, but not valid without being reliable. :::tip Diagnostic Test Ready to test your understanding of Statistics ? The contains the hardest questions within the IB specification for this topic, each with a full worked solution.
Unit tests probe edge cases and common misconceptions. Integration tests combine Statistics with other IB mathematics topics to test synthesis under exam conditions.
See for instructions on self-marking and building a personal test matrix.
Common Pitfalls Confusing the domain and range of functions, or not considering restrictions (e.g., denominator cannot be zero).
Misreading the question, particularly with ‘hence’ vs ‘hence or otherwise’ — the former requires using previous work.
Confusing P ( A ∣ B ) P(A|B) P ( A ∣ B ) with P ( B ∣ A ) P(B|A) P ( B ∣ A ) — these are related by Bayes’ theorem but are not equal in general.
Cross-References Topic Site Link [Statistics] IB View [Statistics] DSE View
Worked Examples Worked examples demonstrating the application of key concepts are covered in the detailed sub-pages linked above.