Why is the range an important measure of variability?

The range is an important measure of variability because it is defined as the difference between the largest and smallest values in a data set. This direct measure provides a quick and easy way to understand the spread of the data. By knowing the extremes, one can get a basic sense of the dispersion or variability without needing to analyze all the individual data points. The range highlights how far apart the maximum and minimum values are, allowing for a straightforward comparison of data sets.

While other measures of variability (such as the interquartile range or standard deviation) may provide additional insights into distribution and spread, the range is particularly valuable for its simplicity and clarity in identifying the boundary between the highest and lowest observations. This makes it a useful tool for an initial assessment of variability in a set of data.