GCSE Maths – Statistics

Graphical Representation of Distributions

Worksheet

NOTES SOLUTIONS

This worksheet will show you how to work out different types of questions
relating to statistical distributions. Each section contains a worked example, a
question with hints and then questions for you to work through on your own.

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 Section A

Worked Example

Are the following examples of data discrete or continuous?

1. Shoe size.

Shoe size is discrete because shoe size can only take whole or half number values. It
cannot take a value such as 5.2 or 4.89.

2. Time taken to run a race.

The time taken to run a race is continuous because the time taken can take any value. For
example, someone may take 45.00 seconds but someone else may take 39.891 seconds.

Guided Example

Are the following examples of data discrete or continuous?

1. Number of oranges sold in a supermarket.

Ask yourself whether oranges can take whole number values only? Can a supermarket sell
half an orange?

2. Weight of each puppy in a litter.

Can weight only take integer values (whole numbers) or can it be any positive number?

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 Now it’s your turn!
If you get stuck, look back at the worked and guided examples.

1. State whether the following examples of data are discrete or continuous:

a) The height of 6 children

b) The eye colour of 15 dogs

c) The length of a field of sunflowers

d) The number of wins for a team in a sports tournament

e) The hair colour of 19 students

f) The number of teachers in a school

g) How long 7 swimmers take to swim 100m

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 Section B – Higher Only

Worked Example

The following data values are collected:

{𝟐𝟐, 𝟐𝟐, 𝟑𝟑, 𝟒𝟒, 𝟖𝟖, 𝟖𝟖, 𝟗𝟗, 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏, 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏, 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏, 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏}

Display the data in a box plot.

Step 1: Calculate the median and quartiles.

𝑛𝑛+1
𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿 𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞 = 𝑡𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡
4
3(𝑛𝑛+1)
𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈 𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞 = 𝑡𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡
4

Here, 𝑛𝑛 represents the number of data values so 𝑛𝑛 = 11. So, inputting 𝑛𝑛 = 11 gives

11+1
𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿𝐿 𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞 = 𝑡𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 = 3𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 = 3
4

3(11+1)
𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈𝑈 𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞𝑞 = 𝑡𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 = 9𝑡𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡𝑡 = 12
4

The median is the middle data value and so can be found by finding the middle value of
the data when the set is arranged in ascending order. If there are two middle values, the
median should be calculated as the average of these two values.

𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 = 𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉𝑉 = 8

Step 2: Construct the box plot.

Draw the axis and label it appropriately. Mark points along the axis that spread slightly
further than the spread of the data point.

Mark the lowest and highest value on the box plot. Mark the median and quartiles.

Connect the median and quartiles with a box. Connect the lowest and highest value with
horizontal lines.

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 Guided Example

A class of students sat an exam. The total mark out of 100 was recorded for each
student. Use the data below to construct a complete box plot to show this data on
the students’ scores.

Highest score: 98
Lowest score: 35
Lower quartile: 47
Upper quartile: 80
Median: 65

Step 1: Draw a scale which has the values 0 to 100 on it with a suitable interval.

Step 2: Mark the points on the scale where the median, upper and lower quartiles are. Now you can
construct the box plot as you have all the information you need given to you in the question.

Step 3: After drawing the box, mark the largest and smallest values on the scale so that you can
finish your box plot.

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 Now it’s your turn!
If you get stuck, look back at the worked and guided examples.

2. A class of students took a maths test. The results are summarised below.

• The lowest mark was 10.

• The highest mark was 56.
• The median was 41.
• The upper quartile was 52.
• The interquartile range was 35.
Using the information above, construct a box plot to represent the data.

3. A group of men and a group of women had their heights measured and recorded.
The heights were rounded to the nearest cm and are shown in the table below.

Heights of men (cm) Heights of women (cm)

165 171
178 155
180 165
175 148
185 160

a) Draw a box plot for each set of data. Draw both box plots on the same scale.
b) Using the box plots, make two comparisons about the distributions of the men’s
heights compared with the distribution of the women’s heights.

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4. 10 friends measure their heights in cm. The results are shown below:

155 163 150 172 179 174 154 149 160 170

Using a suitable scale, draw a box plot to represent this data.

5. Construct a box plot for the following data set:

2 5 6 6 8 10 12 13 16 17 20 22 24 25 28 30 31 34 38 41

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