What is a boxplot and how do I interpret it?

What is a boxplot and how do I interpret it?

A boxplot is a graphical representation of data that shows the distribution through quartiles. It highlights the median, upper and lower quartiles, and potential outliers.

What do the different parts of the boxplot represent?

The box represents the interquartile range (IQR), the line inside the box is the median, and the 'whiskers' extend to the smallest and largest values within 1.5 times the IQR from the quartiles.

How can I identify outliers in a boxplot?

Outliers are typically represented as individual points that fall outside the whiskers of the boxplot. They are values that are significantly higher or lower than the rest of the data.

Can you give me an example of when to use a boxplot?

Boxplots are useful for comparing distributions between different groups, such as test scores across different classes, to quickly visualize differences and identify outliers.