2. Exploring Categorical and Quantitative Data Free Online FlashCards

What distinguishes categorical from quantitative variables?

Categorical variables assign individuals or objects to groups, while quantitative variables record numerical amounts for which arithmetic comparisons are meaningful.

How do discrete and continuous quantitative variables differ?

Discrete variables take countable values, such as the number of pets. Continuous variables can take values along a continuum, such as height or time.

Relative frequency = ___

Relative frequency equals the frequency divided by the total number of observations.

Why do bar charts have spaces between bars?

A bar chart compares categorical groups. Its bars are separated because the categories are distinct rather than connected numerical intervals.

How does a dotplot display repeated quantitative values?

A dotplot places one dot above each quantitative value; repeated values are shown by stacking dots. It preserves individual observations.

What does SOCS stand for in distribution descriptions?

SOCS means Shape, Outliers, Center, and Spread. It provides a structure for describing a quantitative distribution.

What does a histogram’s horizontal axis contain?

A histogram groups quantitative observations into numerical bins. Adjacent bars show that the intervals form a connected numerical scale.

How can bin width affect a histogram?

Very wide bins can hide important structure, while very narrow bins can make random variation appear meaningful. Bin width affects the histogram’s appearance.

What values make up the five-number summary?

The five-number summary consists of the minimum, first quartile (Q1), median (Q2), third quartile (Q3), and maximum.

What is the IQR when Q1 = 5 and Q3 = 10?

The IQR is Q3 − Q1. For Q1 = 5 and Q3 = 10, the IQR is 5 minutes.

What fences can identify potential boxplot outliers?

Potential outliers may lie below Q1 − 1.5(IQR) or above Q3 + 1.5(IQR).

How is a time plot organized?

A time plot places time on the horizontal axis and the measured quantity on the vertical axis, usually connecting points in chronological order.