# 2.7: Box Plot Demo

Skills to Develop

• Understand what it means for a distribution to balance on a fulcrum
• Learn which measure of central tendency will balance a distribution

### Instructions

• The box plot in the simulation is based on the data shown to the left of the box plot.
• Notice that various aspects of the box plot such as the mean and median are labeled.
• These labels can be hidden by unchecking the "show labels on box plot" button.
• Beneath the data is a pair of buttons that let you specify whether you want to be able to enter data or to see statistics based on the data.
• When you use the simulation, try to modify the data in various ways and see how it affects the box plot.
• Try putting in some extreme values and see if they get labeled as outliers.
• Outside values are shown as "$$o's$$" beyond the inner fence.
• Far out values are shown as $$*'s$$ outside the outer fence.
• You can delete all the data (by pressing the "Clear All button") and enter your own data.
• Your data can be typed in or pasted in from another application.
• When pasting, use keyboard shortcut for pasting (Command-V for Mac, CTRL-V for Windows).
• When you change the data, the box plot will disappear.

After you have entered new data, click the "Draw box plot" button to redraw the box plot.

### Illustrated Instructions

The screenshot below shows the box plot simulation with its default data on the left.

Figure $$\PageIndex{1}$$: Box Plot simulation

You can change some or all of the data on the left by editing individual numbers or pasting in your own data. When pasting, you must use the keyboard shortcut for pasting (Command-V for Mac, CTRL-V for Windows).

### Contributor

• Online Statistics Education: A Multimedia Course of Study (http://onlinestatbook.com/). Project Leader: David M. Lane, Rice University.