laatikkokaaviossa

Laatikkokaavio, often translated as box plot or box-and-whisker plot, is a standardized way of displaying the distribution of data based on a five-number summary: minimum, first quartile (Q1), median (Q2), third quartile (Q3), and maximum. It provides a visual representation of the spread and central tendency of a dataset.

The "box" in the laatikkokaavio represents the interquartile range (IQR), which is the difference between Q3 and Q1. The median is typically shown as a line within the box. The "whiskers" extend from the box to indicate the range of the data, excluding outliers. Outliers are usually plotted as individual points beyond the whiskers.

Laatikkokaaviot are useful for comparing distributions of different groups or datasets. They can quickly reveal differences in medians, spread, and the presence of extreme values. They are particularly effective for identifying skewness in the data. For instance, if the median is closer to the bottom of the box and the upper whisker is longer, the data might be right-skewed.

These plots are commonly used in statistics, data analysis, and scientific research to summarize and visualize data. They offer a compact way to understand the key features of a dataset without overwhelming the viewer with individual data points.