We can define range of a list of numbers as the difference between the largest and smallest values in a data set. We calculate range to know how far apart numbers in a data set.
If the range is a high number, then the values in the series are spread far apart, if the range is a small number, then the values in the series are close to each other.
Example:
What is the range of the following data set.
36, 24, 42, 16, 26, 30
We begin by arranging the numbers in ascending order that is from smallest to largest.
16, 24, 26, 30, 36, 42
The smallest number is 16 and the largest number is 42.
We then find the difference of the two numbers.
42 – 16 = 26.
Therefore, the range is 26.
