Use of Excel's Descriptive Statistics and Histogram tools

W.R. Wilcox, Clarkson University, spring 2004

Use the Descriptive Statistics and Histogram tools in Data Analysis (Tools) to characterize
the data set accessed via the tab at the bottom of this worksheet.
If Data Analysis does not appear in Tools, click on Add-Ins, Analysis ToolPak and Solver Add-In.
Format your descriptive statistics to the number of significant figures appropriate for these data.
If you have placed the histogram on the same page, enlarge it. Print out your results.
Write your answers to the following neatly on a separate sheet of paper. Use the Excel help function if necessary.
1. What are the 95% confidence limits for the mean?
2. What is the difference in meanings of "mean", "average", and "median"?
3. What is the relation between "standard deviation" and "sample variance"?
4. What does "range" mean?
5. What are the meanings of "skewness" and "kurtosis"?
6. Do you believe the underlying distribution for these data is normal?
Explain your answer by referring to the skewness, kurtosis, histogram frequency
and cumulative number plot, and the plot of normal distribution given with the data set.

Frequency

Data set A
9.700 Normal distribution with mean 10, standard deviation 1 (from Maple)
8.722
10.244
These "data" were generated using
11.277
the Random Number Generation tool
11.198
in Data Analysis, for a normal
Cumulative
11.733
distribution, mean 10, standard
7.816
deviation 1. The skewness and
9.766
kurtosis are not large, which is
11.095
expected for a normal distribution.
8.913
It is more difficult to make a
9.310
judgment from the histogram.
relative
8.310
frequency
8.153
9.022
9.227
7.882
9.432
9.596
10.135
From Data Analysis,
9.635
From Data Analysis, Histogram
Descriptive Statistics
9.673
Mean
9.893
9.630
Bins
Bin
Frequency Cumulative %
Standard Error
0.165
11.343
7.5
7.5
0
.00%
Median
9.675
9.915
8.0
8.0
2
4.00%
Mode
#N/A
9.814
8.5
8.5
5
14.00%
Standard Deviation
1.163
9.487
9.0
9.0
3
20.00%
Sample Variance
1.354
11.972
9.5
9.5
9
38.00%
Kurtosis
-0.508
10.866
10.0
10.0
13
64.00%
Skewness
0.343
12.376
10.5
10.5
3
70.00%
Range
4.560
9.345
11.0
11.0
5
80.00%
Minimum
7.816
11.662
11.5
11.5
4
88.00%
Maximum
12.376
8.388
12.0
12.0
4
96.00%
Sum
494.655
10.539
12.5
12.5
2
100.00%
Count
50
10.902
More
0
100.00%
Confidence Level(95.0%)
0.331
11.919
9.916
Histogram
9.476
10.675
9.619
14
120.00%
10.758
12
100.00%
8.556
10
9.153
80.00%
Frequency
8
8.478
60.00%
Cumulative %
6
9.637
40.00%
9.968
4
10.028
20.00%
2
9.677
0
.00%
12.195
8.258
9.264

Bin

the Random Number Generation tool