The sample data below shows the number of hours spent by 5 students over the weekend to prepare for Monday's Business Statistics exam. The interquartile range of the data is closest to:
A)4 hours
B)6 hours
C)10 hours
D)12 hours

Question

The sample data below shows the number of hours spent by 5 students over the weekend to prepare for Monday's Business Statistics exam.  The interquartile range of the data is closest to:
A)4 hours 
B)6 hours 
C)10 hours 
D)12 hours

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To find the interquartile range (IQR), we first need to find the first quartile (Q1) and the third quartile (Q3).

To find Q1 and Q3, we will use the following steps:

Step 1: Put the data in order from smallest to largest 
2, 4, 6, 8, 12

Step 2: Find the median (middle value) of the lower half of the data (up to the median). 
2, 4, (6), 8, 12 
Q1 = 4

Step 3: Find the median (middle value) of the upper half of the data (from the median). 
2, 4, 6, (8), 12 
Q3 = 12

The interquartile range (IQR) is the difference between Q3 and Q1:

IQR = Q3 - Q1 
IQR = 12 - 4 
IQR = 8

Therefore, the closest answer is B) 6 hours.

The Sample Data Below Shows the Number of Hours Spent