1. What is a Box and Whisker Plot?

A box and whisker plot (or box plot) is a standardized way of displaying the distribution of data based on a five-number summary: minimum, first quartile (Q1), median, third quartile (Q3), and maximum. It can show outliers and what the range of the data is.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator processes your data to calculate:

3. Understanding the Components

Box: Represents the interquartile range (IQR) from Q1 to Q3, with a line at the median.

Whiskers: Lines extending from the box to the minimum and maximum values (or 1.5×IQR limits).

Outliers: Points beyond the whiskers, shown as individual dots.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter numeric values separated by commas. Choose between min/max whiskers or 1.5×IQR whiskers (which may exclude outliers).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between min/max and 1.5×IQR whiskers?
A: Min/max shows the full data range, while 1.5×IQR helps identify potential outliers more clearly.

Q2: How are quartiles calculated?
A: We use linear interpolation between data points for accurate percentile calculation.

Q3: What does the box represent?
A: The box contains the middle 50% of your data (from Q1 to Q3).

Q4: When should I use 1.5×IQR whiskers?
A: When you want to focus on the typical data range and identify potential outliers.

Q5: How many outliers are normal?
A: In normally distributed data, about 0.7% of points would be outside 1.5×IQR.