📊 Range 📚 Grade 4 ⏱ 5 min
Range in Statistics: Max Minus Min
After the mean, median, and mode, there is one more simple way to describe a set of numbers — the range, which shows how spread out the data is.
Range is just a difference
In the set 3, 8, 5, 12, 1, the largest number is 12, the smallest is 1. Range = 12−1=11. Simple subtraction showing the spread of values.
💡 Anchor: compare a week's temperatures — the warmest and coldest days. The gap between them is that week's temperature range.
What range tells you
A large range means the data is spread wide. A small range means the data sits close together, stable.
FAQ
Why bother with range if there is a mean?
The mean shows a typical value, while range shows how spread out the data is around it — different, complementary information.