What are quartiles used for?

Quartiles are a statistical tool used to divide a dataset into four equal parts, with each part representing 25% of the data. This means that when you arrange the data in ascending order, the first quartile (Q1) marks the 25th percentile, the second quartile (Q2) corresponds to the median or 50th percentile, and the third quartile (Q3) indicates the 75th percentile. By using quartiles, you can easily analyze the distribution of data, identify outliers, and gain insights into the spread and center of the data set. This method is beneficial when assessing the relative standing of a particular value within the context of the overall data distribution. The understanding of quartiles is essential in both descriptive statistics and exploratory data analysis.