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Unit 4 - Range
If the range is large, the variation of the data is large.

Unit 4 - Range

GCSE Biology practicals often use the range to show how spread out results are. This quiz helps you practise interpreting data sets and judging how consistent they are.

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Fascinating Fact:

In biology practicals, range is often used alongside the mean. Together they give information about both the typical value and the spread of the data.

In GCSE Biology, you collect numerical results from experiments, such as reaction times or growth measurements. Using the range helps you describe how spread out your data are and judge how consistent your results look.

  • Range: The difference between the largest and smallest values in a set of results.
  • Mean: The average value, found by adding all results together and dividing by the number of values.
  • Spread: A way of describing how far apart or close together data values are within a set of results.
What does range mean in GCSE Biology experiments?

In GCSE Biology, the range tells you how far apart the biggest and smallest results are. It is a simple way of showing how much your data vary in an investigation.

How do I calculate the range in a biology practical?

To calculate the range, identify the highest result and the lowest result in your data set. Subtract the lowest value from the highest value to give the range.

Why is range used as well as the mean in science?

The mean shows a typical value, but it does not show how spread out results are. The range adds this extra information so you can judge the consistency of your data.

1 .
If the range is large, we need to consider this.
Repeating the experiment many more times
Leaving it and working out the average
Changing the experiment altogether
Asking for more time
If the range is very wide, it could just be the method or it could be genuine biological variation. Repeating the experiment is the best way forward as a first step to double checking the data
2 .
The range will guide us about a valid comparison between our experimental results and the control. If the ranges do not overlap, we say that there is...
no difference
a significant difference
a fluke
a chance that they may be different
If there is no overlap between the ranges, the experimental group must be different from the control and therefore we have a clear cut difference
3 .
If the range is large, the variation of the data is...
large
small
insignificant
unchanged
The upper and lower limits are significantly different to each other and looking at possible reasons for a large spread of results could help you to suggest modifications to the experiment to increase reliability
4 .
Which is the lower limit of this range of data?
22, 14, 16, 19, 11, 28
11
15
16
17
The lower limit is the smallest number
5 .
If there is a very wide range of data for the same experiment, we say that the data is...
precise
unreliable
ranging
inaccurate
Range is taken as a measure of reliability when applied to the repeat results of an experiment
6 .
What is the upper limit of the following data?
15, 18, 25, 18, 45
15
18
25
45
The upper limit is the highest number
7 .
Which one of the following is the range of this data?
25, 16, 18, 10, 12, 16, 17
12 to 16
10 to 17
10 to 25
25 to 17
Remember, the range is the lowest to highest or vice-versa
8 .
The range is the same thing as this.
Average
Spread
Accuracy
Median
The range gives us a measure of the spread of the data
9 .
To calculate the range, we...
subtract the largest number from the smallest
subtract the smallest number from the largest
subtract the mean from the largest number
take an average
This is a way of expressing the range as a single figure
10 .
Calculate the range of the following data.
12, 14, 16, 13, 17, 19
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
The upper limit is 19, the lower limit is 12 so the range is 19 - 12 = 7
You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Practical skills

Author:  Donna Davidson (GCSE Biology Teacher & Examiner, Quiz Writer)

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