Math Problem Statement

Listed below are the numbers of hurricanes that occurred in each year in a certain region. The data are listed in order by year. Find the​ range, variance, and standard deviation for the given sample data. Include appropriate units in the results. What important feature of the data is not revealed by any of the measures of​ variation? 10 8 1 2 7 10 20

13 15 5 17 6 10 17 Question content area bottom Part 1 The range of the sample data is    19 hurricanes. ​(Round to one decimal place as​ needed.) Part 2 The standard deviation of the sample data is    5.9 hurricanes. ​(Round to one decimal place as​ needed.) Part 3 The variance of the sample data is    enter your response here ▼ ​(Round to one decimal place as​ needed.)

Solution

Let us calculate the range, variance, and standard deviation for the given sample data. The data set is:

10, 8, 1, 2, 7, 10, 20, 13, 15, 5, 17, 6, 10, 17

Step 1: Calculate the Range

The range is the difference between the maximum and minimum values in the data set.
Range=Maximum valueMinimum value=201=19\text{Range} = \text{Maximum value} - \text{Minimum value} = 20 - 1 = 19
Answer: The range is 19 hurricanes.


Step 2: Calculate the Variance

The variance measures the average squared difference from the mean. Use the formula:
Variance=(xixˉ)2n1\text{Variance} = \frac{\sum (x_i - \bar{x})^2}{n-1}
Where:

  • xix_i are the individual data points.
  • xˉ\bar{x} is the mean of the data.
  • nn is the number of data points.

1. Find the mean:

xˉ=xin=10+8+1+2+7+10+20+13+15+5+17+6+10+1714=14114=10.07\bar{x} = \frac{\sum x_i}{n} = \frac{10 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 7 + 10 + 20 + 13 + 15 + 5 + 17 + 6 + 10 + 17}{14} = \frac{141}{14} = 10.07

2. Compute the squared differences from the mean:

(xixˉ)2(x_i - \bar{x})^2
For each data point:

(10 - 10.07)^2 &= 0.0049, \quad (8 - 10.07)^2 = 4.2849, \quad (1 - 10.07)^2 = 82.0849, \\ (2 - 10.07)^2 &= 65.6049, \quad (7 - 10.07)^2 = 9.4249, \quad (10 - 10.07)^2 = 0.0049, \\ (20 - 10.07)^2 &= 98.0049, \quad (13 - 10.07)^2 = 8.6449, \quad (15 - 10.07)^2 = 24.7049, \\ (5 - 10.07)^2 &= 25.7049, \quad (17 - 10.07)^2 = 47.3049, \quad (6 - 10.07)^2 = 16.5049, \\ (10 - 10.07)^2 &= 0.0049, \quad (17 - 10.07)^2 = 47.3049. \end{aligned}$$ #### 3. Compute the variance: $$\text{Variance} = \frac{\sum (x_i - \bar{x})^2}{n-1} = \frac{429.704}{13} \approx 33.1$$ **Answer: The variance is 33.1 hurricanes (squared).** --- ### Step 3: Calculate the Standard Deviation The **standard deviation** is the square root of the variance: $$\text{Standard Deviation} = \sqrt{\text{Variance}} = \sqrt{33.1} \approx 5.7$$ **Answer: The standard deviation is 5.7 hurricanes.** --- ### Part 4: Important Feature Not Revealed The range, variance, and standard deviation do not reveal how the hurricanes are distributed over time. For example: - The measures of variation do not indicate if the hurricanes occurred evenly over the years or if there were clusters of active or inactive years. --- ### Final Summary: 1. **Range**: 19 hurricanes 2. **Variance**: 33.1 hurricanes$$^2$$ 3. **Standard Deviation**: 5.7 hurricanes Would you like to see the full calculations or learn more about interpreting these measures? --- **Relative Questions to Explore Further**: 1. How does standard deviation affect the interpretation of hurricane variability? 2. Can we compute the coefficient of variation (CV) for this data set? What does it tell us? 3. How can the distribution of hurricanes be visualized (e.g., histogram)? 4. How does removing outliers affect the variance and standard deviation? 5. What is the significance of sample variance versus population variance in this context? **Tip**: When calculating variance and standard deviation, always double-check the mean calculation, as errors there can propagate through the entire solution.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Statistics
Descriptive Statistics
Variance
Standard Deviation
Range

Formulas

Range = Maximum value - Minimum value
Variance = Σ(x_i - x̄)^2 / (n-1)
Standard Deviation = √Variance

Theorems

Properties of Variance and Standard Deviation
Sample Variance vs Population Variance

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 10-12