Math 1 · Unit 12 · Lesson 1 · part 1 of 5
The Words We Use
The vocabulary for this lesson, in one place.
Words we use
| Word | Plain English | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Data set | A list of values for one quantity. | Ask: what shape, where is the center, how spread out? |
| Distribution | How the values are spread out along the number line. | Picture it before you compute anything. |
| Dot plot | One dot per value, stacked when values repeat. | Best for small data sets. |
| Histogram | Bars that count how many values fall in each bin. | Best for the shape of a big data set. |
| Bin | An interval of values grouped into one bar. | Changing the bin width changes the picture. |
| Box plot | A picture of the 5-number summary: box for the middle half, whiskers to the ends. | Best for comparing groups. |
| 5-number summary | Minimum, Q1, median, Q3, maximum. | Read it off a box plot, left to right. |
| Symmetric, skewed right, skewed left | Mirror sides; a long tail to the right; a long tail to the left. | The tail tells you the name. |