Forging new generations of engineers

Introduction
to
Basic Statistics
 Lesson Concepts Addressed

Statistical analysis of measurements

can help to verify the quality of a
design or process.
Engineers use graphics to
communicate patterns in recorded
data.
 Related Performance Objectives

It is expected that students will…

• Generate a data set of linear
measurement.
• Calculate the mean, mode, median,
and range of a data set.
• Create a histogram of recorded
measurements showing class interval
and frequency.
 Mean
The mean is the sum of the values of a
set of data divided by the number of
values in that data set.

S
x= nx
(pronounced “X-bar”)
 Mean
S
x= nx
x = individual data value
n = # of data values in the data set
S = summation of a set of values
 Mean
Data Set:
3 7 12 17 21 21 23 27 32 36 44
Sum of the values = 243
Number of values = 11

Mean = x = S x = 243 = 22.09

n 11
 Mode
The most frequently occurring
value in a set of data is the mode.
mode
Symbol… M
Data Set:
27 17 12 7 21 44 23 3 36 32 21
 Mode
The most frequently occurring
value in a set of data is the mode.
mode

Data Set:
3 7 12 17 21 21 23 27 32 36 44
Mode = 21
 Mode
The most frequently occurring
value in a set of data is the mode.
mode
Note: If two numbers of equal frequency
stand out, then the data set is
“bimodal.” If more than two numbers
of equal frequency stand out, then
the data set is “multi-modal.”
 Median
The median is the value that
occurs in the middle of a set of data
that has been arranged in
chronological order.
Symbol… x~ pronounced “X-tilde”
 Median
The median is the value that
occurs in the middle of a set of data
that has been arranged in
chronological order.
Data Set:
27 17 12 7 21 44 23 3 36 32 21
Median = 21
 Median
Note: A data set that contains an odd # of values
always has a Median. For an even # of
values, the two middle values are averaged
with the result being the Median.

Data Set:
3 7 12 17 21 21 23 27 32 36 44
Median = 21
 Range
The range is the difference
between the largest and smallest
values that occur in a set of data.
Symbol… R
Data Set:
3 7 12 17 21 21 23 27 32 36 44
Range = 44-3 = 41
 Histogram
A histogram is a common data distribution
graph that is used to show the frequency with
which specific values, or values within
ranges, occur in a set of data.
An engineer might use a histogram to show
the most common, or average, dimension
that exists among a group of identical
manufactured parts.
 0 3 -1 -3
3 2 1 0
-1 -1 2 1
0 1 -1 -2
1 2 1 0
-2 -4 0 0

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
 Histogram

Specific values, called data elements,

are plotted along the X-axis of the graph.

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Data Elements
 Histogram
Large sets of data are often divided into
limited number of groups. These groups
are called class intervals.

-6 to -16 -5 to 5 6 to 16
Class Intervals
 Histogram
The number of data elements is shown by
the frequency, which occurs along the Y-
axis of the graph.
Frequency

-6 to -16 -5 to 5 6 to 16
 Normal Distribution
“Is the data normal?”
Translation…does the greatest
frequency of the data values occur
about the mean value?
 Normal Distribution
Mean Value
Frequency

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Data Elements
 Normal Distribution
“Is the process normal?”
Further Translation…does the data
form a bell shape curve when
plotted on a histogram?
 Normal Distribution
Frequency

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Data Elements