CHAPTER

MEASURES OF
4 DiSPERSION
Introduction:
|Dispersion, Characteristics of a good measure of dispersion
range-merits and demerits, uses, Quartile deviation, or Semi-
interquartile range merits and demerits uses Theorem Standard
deviation- -merits and demerits, uses Some important Theorems
PHert of change of origin and change ofscale on diferent measures
dispersion Comparison of diffefent measures of dispersion
Pelative measures of disperston Worked-out Examples, Exercies

4.1. Dispersion :
Bv the word 'dispersion' we mean the degree of heterogeneity in a given
aa So measure of dispersion willgive a measure how the whole data are
distributed about the central value. When all the sample values are eqqual,
he value of the dispersion will be zero. the wider will be the discrepancy from
One observation to another, the larger will be the dispersion. the measure of
dispersion is also known as the measure of variability.
Some important measures of dispersion are
i) Range,
(ü) Quartile Deviation or Semi-Interquartile Range.
(m) Absolute Mean Deviation (or, Mean Deviation).
(iv) Standard Deviation.
(v) Coeffcient of Variance.
Z. Characteristics of a good measure of dispersion :
AtCording of G.U. Yule, a good measure of dispersion must obey the
olowing conditions
(4) It should be rigidly defined.
u) It should be based on all observations.
(i) It should have some simple and clear properties so that it may be
Teadily understandable.
(iv) it can be calculated easily and rapidly.
Should be least affected by fluctuations of sample values.
(vi) It should be capable of algebraic and arithmetic treatment.
99
 104 Fundamental Treatise on Probability and
Thus, in any case, Statisics
Zx, -A| is minimum, when A= Median,
In other word, Mean Deviation is minimum, when taken about
the
Note :
Mean deviation from the median
median.
Median coefficient of dispersion = Median
Mean deviation from the mean
Mean coefficient of dispersion = Mean

Illustrative Example :
Calculate the mean deviation about mean of the following distribution.
2 3 4 6
f: 4 2 7 5 4 3

Solution:
xf
1 4 4 2.48 9.92
2 2 1.48 2.96
3 7 21 0.48 3.36
4 5 20 0.52 2.60
5 4 20 1.52 6.08
6. 18 2.52 7.56

Total 25 87 32.48

Lt_87
-==3.48.
25

32.48
Mean deviation about mean= =1.30
25

4.7. Standard Deviation :

Root mean square deviation about A:To define standard deviation, we
first define the term 'Root mean square deviation about A'. If x,, X,, ..
be n simple observation, then by definition.

Root mean square deviation about A = E-A) and for a set of samples
zy ..,having respective frequencies 5, , ...f,.
Measures of Dispersion 115

(n, +n,

Using this result and putting N= ntn, in the previous result, we get
No =n,o'+n,o,' +"(
N -}.
L8.7. Illustrative Examples :
Eindthe S.D. of the following observation : 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 7, 10, 12

Solution : S.D. =

Now, Sx'= 22 + 32 + 5²+ 624 8+ 72 + 102+ 122

= 4+9 + 25 + 36 + 64 + 49 + 100 + 144
= 431.

=2 + 3 + 5 + 6 + 8 +7+ 10 +12
= 53.
n =total number of observation = 8

So, S.D.= =V53.87543.891l=3.16.

(2) Find the S.D. of the following distribution :

1 2 3 4 6

4 3 2 6

Solution:
f xf f
4 4
4
6 4 12
2 3
6 9 18
3 2
20 16 80
4 5
30 25 150
5 6
30 36 180
6. 5
96 444
Total 25
116 Fundamental Treatise on Probability and
Sotsies
S.D.

444 (96
25 25

=/17.76-14.7456
=/3.0144
= 1.74.

(3) Findthe S.D of the following distribution :

Class : 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69
5 7 92 4
Frequency : 3
Solution : The S.D will be determined by using the change of origin..
change of scale technique.
X-44.5
Class Frequence y=
Class 10
interval marks )
(x)
10-19 14.5 3 -3 -9 27
20-29 24.5 -2 -10 4 20
30-39 34.5 7 -1 -7 1 7
4049 44.5 9 0
50-59 54.5 4 1 4 1 4

60-69 64.5 2 2 4 8

Total 30 -18 66

2
66 18
30 30
= 1.356.

Thus, s, = lds,
=10x 1.356
= 13.56
 Megsures of Dispersion 121
llustrative Example : For a set of
observations
Mean = Rs.5-00, Median = R.5-00, S.D. = Rs.2-60
Mean Deviation about mean = Rs.2-00, Quartile Deviation = Rs.1-50.
SO
2-60
(a) Coefficient of variation= -X = 52,
5-00
2-00
Coefficient of Mean deviation × 100 = 40.
(b) 5-00
1:50
ic) Coefficient of Quartile Deviation 5-00
x 100 = 30.

4.12. Worked-out Examples :

Eyample 1. Find the range and coefficient of range for the following obser
vations.:
20, 10, 37, 15, 90, 58, 60.
Solution : Range =maxmin
= 90 - 10 = 80

Coefficient of Range= Mmax -Xmin

Xmax t min
90-10 80
-= 0-8
90+10 100
Example 2. Find out the range of the following data :
Height(inches): 60 - 62 63 - 65 66 - 68 69 - 71 72 -74
No. of students 27 42 18 5
[D.S. W. Nov. 1973]
Solution : Lower class boundary of the first group is 59-5 and the upper
class boundary of the last group is 74-5.
Therefore, Range = 74-5 59-5
=15 inches.
Example 3. Calculate the range and quartile deviation of the following
distribution:4
6 8 10 12 14
f 12 15 16
localculate the first and third quartiles i.e., Q, and Q, we consider the
following table
C.F. (<)
9
6 12 21 - 15-75
15 36
, ’ 10 16 52 +47-25
12 57
14 5 62
Total 62 = N
122 Fundamental Treatise on Probability
and
Now, Q, is the value of the variate corresponding to the Staisic,
frequency (<);(N+I) =4
that Q, = 6.
(62 +1) =15-75 and from the table cumlobviatiovuse
itis
Similariy.Q, iis the value of the variate corresponding to the
3
frequency (<) N+ 1) =4 (62 +1) =47-25 and from table it is cumulative
that Q, = 10.
Therefore, quartile deviation = 3-Q10-6 =2,
obvious
2 2
Example 4. Calculate quartile deviation for the following data :
Fam size(acre): 0-40 41 -80 81- 120 121- 160 161 -200 201- 240 241 and ne
No. of Farms 394 461 391 334 169 13
148
Solution:
Class Class Frequency CE. <

LATE
interval boundary
0- 40 -0-5 40-5 394 394
41 - 80 40-5 80-5 461 855 , class
81 - 120 80-5 - 120-5 391 1246
121 - 160 120-5 - 160-5 334 1580 ’ Q, class
161 200 160-5 200-5 169 1749
201 - 240 200-5 240-5 113 1862
241 - 240-5 - 148 2010
Total 2010 = N

With usual notations, Q. = l+

2010
-394
So, Q, = 40.5 + 4 X 40
461
=40-5 + 9-41 = 49.91.
3×2010
-1246
4
Q, = 120-5 + x 40
334
= 120-5 + 31· 32 = 151-82
Therefore,
Quartile deviation =
2

151-82-49.91
50-96 (acre).
 o Dispersion 123
Findthe mean deviation from mean, median and mode of the
eatans

15, 10, 6, 15, 12, 9, 3, 5, 4, 2.

Mean: Mean of the observations ( )
15+10+6+15+12+9+3+5+4+2 81
=81.
10 10
Median: If we arange the observations in ascending order, we get
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 15, 15.
10. So 5th and 6th terms are two
termIS = middle terms.
Noof
Therefore,Median= 6+9
-= 75
2 2
Mode: Since the variate value 15 has maximum frequency 2, so mode = 15
Nowtoocalculate the mean deviation from the mean, median and mode, we
table:
mjderthefollowing
I(x- 81) | |x-7-5| |x- 15|
2 6-1 5-5 13
3 5-1 4-5 12
4 4-1 3-5 11
5 3-1 2-5 10
6 2-1 1-5
9 0.9 1-5
10 1.9 2-5 5
12 3.9 4-5 3
15 6-9 7-5
15 6-9 7-5
Total 41 41 69
Therefore,
Mean deviation from the Elx-81|
mean = 10
41
1041,
Mean deviation from the lx-7-5|
median = 10
41
10 41.
Mean deviation from the lx-15|
mode = 10
69
10
=6-9.

iobatil ty1
 124 Fundamental Treatise on Probability
and
Example 6. Find the mean deviation from mean and mode of the
table : Siosics
5
3
4
4
7

Solution : To calculate the mean deviation from the

5
6
6
3 sol wing
following table :
mean we
Use lhe
xXf|x- 415|||x - 415| x f|x -41
2 5 10 2-15 10-75 2
||x- 4\xf
3 12 1-15 4-60 10
4
4 7 28 0-15 1-05
0
6 30 0-85 5-10
6
6 3 18 1-85 5-55 2
6
7 2 14 2-85 5.70 3 6
Total 27 112 32-75
32
From the table, mean (6)=
Ef
112
27
= 4-15.
Also, mode = variate value with maximum frequency
= 4.

Thus, the mean deviation from the mean lx-4151xf

32-75
27
= 121

and the mean deviation from the mode

lx-4|xf

32
27
= 1-19
Example 7. Calculate the mean deviation from the mean of the following
distribution
Marks 0-10 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50

5 8 15 16 6
Frequency 2000|
(B.U. (Pass) Math,
 Measures of Dispersion 125
Solution: To solve the problem let us construct the following table :
x-25
Classinterval Class frequency 10
Ix-27 |||x-27 |xf
mark (f)
(*)
0 - 10 5 -2 - 10 22 110
10-20 15 8 -1 -8 12 96
20 30 25 15
2 30
30-40 35 16 1 16 8 128
40 50 45 6 2 12 18 108

Total 50 10 472

2fy_ 10 0-20.
Ef 50
Therefore, I=c + d" y =25 + 10 x 0-2 = 27
Mean deviation from the mean
= Elx-1f

472
50
= 9.44
Example 8. Find the mean deviation from the median of the following
frequency distribution :
Class 0-10 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50
Frequency 5 7 4 2
Solution: To find the median we construct the following table :
Class Freaquency Cumulative
boundary frequency <
0-10 5 5
10-20 7 12
20-30 4 16
30-40 3 19
40-50 2 21

Total 21 = N
Total number of frequency N=21.
N 21
So, 2 2
= 10-5. .
Thus, 10 -20 class is the median class.
126 Fundamental Treatise on Probability and
Now, using the standard formula for median. Staisties
Median =l+ 2XC

= 10+ 105-510 =17-86.

Now, to calculate mean deviation fromthe mnedian we use the
Class Class frequency |* - 17:861 f fol owing table:
boundary mark (r) f)
5 12.3
1*-17-861
0-10 5
10-20 15 2-86
64-86
20-30 25 4 7-14
20-02
30-40 35 3 17-14
28-56
2 27-14
51-42
40-50 45 54-28
Total 21
218-58
218-58
Therefore, Mean deviation from the median = = 10-41.
21
Example 9. Calculate the mean deviation from the mode of the
table : fol owing
Height (inch) : 60-62 63-65 66-68 69-71 72-74
18 42 27
Frequency 5 8
[B.U. (Pass) Math. 1996]
Solution: To find the mode we construct the following table:
Class Freaquency Frequency
interval boundary
60-62 59-5 -62-5 5
63- 65 62-5 - 65-5 18
66 - 68 65-5 - 68-5 42 + Model class
69 - 71 68-6 - 71-5 27
72 - 74 71-5 - 74-5

The class with maximum frequency (42) is 65-5 - 68-5.

Now, using the usual formula,
Mode =l+ fo-x c
2f%-f4-fA
42-18
=65-5 + x3
2x42-18-27
= 67:35
Measures of Dispersion 127
calculatethe mean deviation from mode the following table is considerd :
Nowto
Classinterval Class
mark
frequency x-67:35| Ix - 67:351f
()
(x)
60 - 62 61 5 635 31-75
63 - 65 64 18 3-35 60-30
66 - 68 67 42 0-35 14-70
69 - 71 70 27 2-65 71-55
72- 74 73 5-65 45-20
Total 100 223-50

223-50
Therefore, Mean deviation from the mode = = 2:235
100
Example 10. Find the mean deviation about A.M. of 1, 2,3, ...2m (m22).
[B.U. (Pass) Stat. 2001]
Solution :
Mean = i 1+2+3+...+2m
2m
2m(2m +1) 2m +1
2:2m
Now, Llx-z1
2m +1 2m+1
+ ... + |2m-
2 2

21m +1 -11n
2

2n-1 2m -3 113 2n-1

2 2 2 2 2

=2 2m-1,2m-3 32 2

=1+3+ . + (2m - 3) + (2m - 1)

2 {21+ (m - 1)2}
m
2 2m