More About this Sample Range Calculator

The sample range corresponds to the difference between the maximum and minimum value of a sample. It is used as a measure of dispersion of a distribution, but not too frequently.

What is the Range formula?

The sample range is computed as Range = Max - Min. For example, if you have a sample data: 3, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 1, 24, 24, the range is Max - Min = 24 - 1 = 23. You can try our descriptive statistics calculator in case that you need to get a more complete calculation of ALL of the most common descriptive statistics, including mean, SD and quartiles.

Why do I need to compute the range?

The range is an integral part of the set of descriptive statistics that are typically reported. Why would you use the range?

• It is a measure of dispersion: A large range indicates that the difference between minimum and maximum is large, suggesting some degree of dispersion
• It gives you the size of the whole spectrum of values of the data (at least for the given sample)
• If you don't have the standard deviation provided, you can use the range rule of thumb to estimate the standard deviation

Is the range the same as the midrange?

No, they are tightly related, but they are not the same. The range is the difference between the minimum and maximum points of a sample, whereas to calculate the midrange, you need the average of the minimum and the maximum.