How do you draw a box plot from a given data set?

To draw a box plot, find the minimum, lower quartile, median, upper quartile, and maximum of the data set.

First, organise your data set in ascending order. This makes it easier to identify the key values needed for the box plot. The minimum and maximum values are simply the smallest and largest numbers in your data set.

Next, find the median, which is the middle value of your data set. If there is an odd number of data points, the median is the middle number. If there is an even number of data points, the median is the average of the two middle numbers.

Now, identify the lower quartile (Q1) and upper quartile (Q3). The lower quartile is the median of the lower half of your data (excluding the overall median if the number of data points is odd). Similarly, the upper quartile is the median of the upper half of your data.

With these five key values (minimum, Q1, median, Q3, and maximum), you can draw your box plot. Draw a number line that includes the range of your data. Above this line, draw a box from Q1 to Q3. Inside the box, draw a line at the median. Finally, draw "whiskers" from the minimum to Q1 and from Q3 to the maximum.

This visual representation helps you quickly see the spread and central tendency of your data, as well as any potential outliers.