What is Range?

The range is the simplest measure of dispersion or variability. It provides a quick sense of the total spread of the data by subtracting the minimum value from the maximum value.

Why Range Matters

While simple, the range gives immediate context about the boundaries of the observed data and helps identify data entry errors or unexpected extreme values.

Example

Common Mistakes

• Relying exclusively on the range to describe variability, as it is determined entirely by just two extreme data points and ignores the rest of the data.
• Reporting the minimum and maximum values instead of the calculated difference, though this is a common stylistic preference.