Statistics and Probability

learning_notes

Last updated: 8/16/2025

Mean, Median, Mode, and Range

Key Concepts

  • Mean (average): \text{sum} \div \text{count}
  • Median: middle number when sorted
  • Mode: most frequent value
  • Range: max – min

Skills Tested

  • Calculating measures of central tendency
  • Identifying how changes in data affect the mean
  • Comparing multiple data sets

Example Question

What is the mean of the numbers: 4, 8, 6, 2, 10? A. 6 B. 5 C. Answer: 6 (Mean = \frac{4+8+6+2+10}{5} = \frac{30}{5} = 6)

Interpreting Data Sets and Graphs

Key Concepts

  • Reading bar graphs, line graphs, histograms, boxplots, and scatterplots
  • Trends, outliers, and comparisons

Skills Tested

  • Extracting info from visual representations
  • Understanding shape and spread of data
  • Identifying medians, quartiles, and outliers in boxplots

Example Question

A boxplot shows a data set with Q1 = 25, median = 40, Q3 = 60. What is the interquartile range (IQR)? A. 35 B. 20 C. Answer: 35 (IQR = Q3 - Q1 = 60 - 25 = 35)

Probability

Key Concepts

  • Basic probability: \frac{\text{favorable}}{\text{total}}
  • Compound events: "and" = multiply, "or" = add (for disjoint events)
  • Independent vs. dependent events

Skills Tested

  • Calculating probabilities of single and multi-step events
  • Understanding complementary probability: P(\text{not A}) = 1 - P(A)
  • Working with tables or scenarios

Example Question

A bag has 5 red, 3 blue, and 2 green marbles. What is the probability of drawing a blue marble? A. 30% B. Answer: \frac{3}{10} (Total = 10; blue = 3 → \frac{3}{10})

Combinations and Permutations

Key Concepts

  • Permutations (order matters): nPr = \frac{n!}{(n - r)!}
  • Combinations (order doesn’t matter): nCr = \frac{n!}{r!(n - r)!}

Skills Tested

  • Recognizing when order matters
  • Applying factorials and formulas
  • Solving counting problems efficiently

Example Question

How many ways can 3 students be chosen from a group of 5 to form a committee (order doesn't matter)? A. 60 B. Answer: 10 (Use combinations: \binom{5}{3} = \frac{5!}{3!2!} = 10)

Statistical Modeling and Interpretation

Key Concepts

  • Line of best fit in scatterplots
  • Identifying positive, negative, or no correlation
  • Making predictions from models or equations

Skills Tested

  • Recognizing the meaning of slope and intercept
  • Interpreting scatterplot trends
  • Using models to make extrapolations or interpolations

Example Question

A line of best fit for a data set is y = 2x + 5. What does the slope mean in context? A. For every 1-unit increase in x, y increases by 2 B. Answer: A (Slope represents rate of change)

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