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We are asked how an outlier affects the range of a set of data. Recall that an outlier is a data value that is much greater than or much less than the other values in the data set. Let's take a look at an example data set that has an outlier.
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1 & 5 & 2 & 1
2 & 99 & 4 & 3
| Greatest Data Value | Least Data Value | Range | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Set With Outlier | 99 | 1 | 99 - 1 = 98 |
| Data Set Without Outlier | 5 | 1 | 5 - 1 = 4 |
Notice that the range is significantly less than 98 when the outlier is removed. Therefore, the outlier increased the range of the data set. Since outliers are always much greater than or much less than the other data values, the spread of the data is increased and the range of the data is greater.