AP Statistics Flashcards: Describing the Distribution of a Quantitative Variable
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 19 cards to help you master important concepts.
What is the collective term for features like outliers, gaps, and clusters?
These are collectively referred to as unusual features when describing the characteristics of a quantitative data distribution.
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What is the collective term for features like outliers, gaps, and clusters?
These are collectively referred to as unusual features when describing the characteristics of a quantitative data distribution.
What are the two primary ways to describe the number of peaks in a distribution?
Distributions can be described by their number of peaks, such as unimodal (one peak) or bimodal (two peaks).
What types of unusual features should be noted when describing a quantitative distribution?
Unusual features include outliers, gaps, clusters, or multiple peaks.
Define 'gap' in the context of a data distribution.
A gap is a region in a distribution where there is no observed data.
What does it mean for a distribution to be 'approximately uniform'?
An approximately uniform distribution is a type of shape where data values are spread out relatively evenly across the range of the data.
You calculate the average height of students in your class. Are you performing descriptive or inferential statistics?
You are using descriptive statistics because you are summarizing a characteristic of your specific class (the data set) and not attributing it to a larger population.
What is the purpose of descriptive statistics?
Descriptive statistics are used to summarize a data set's characteristics, such as its center and variability.
What two aspects of a distribution's shape are related to its tails and its center?
The length of a distribution's tails determines its skew, while a distribution with mirrored halves is described as symmetric.
True or False: Descriptive statistics allow us to make conclusions about the population from which the sample was drawn.
False. Descriptive statistics only summarize a data set and do not attribute its properties to a larger population.
What is a symmetric distribution?
A symmetric distribution is one where the two halves of the distribution are mirror images of each other.
If a dataset of house prices has one price that is ten times higher than any other, what is this data point called?
This data point would be considered an outlier because it is unusually large relative to the rest of the data.
A histogram of exam scores shows a large group of students scoring between 80-90 and another large group scoring between 50-60, with few in between. What features are present?
This distribution has two clusters (concentrations of data) and a gap between them. It could also be described as bimodal.
Define 'outlier'.
Outliers are data points that are unusually small or large relative to the rest of the data in a distribution.
What feature typically separates clusters in a distribution?
Clusters, which are concentrations of data, are usually separated by gaps.
What do the terms 'unimodal' and 'bimodal' describe about a distribution's shape?
These terms describe the number of peaks in a distribution; unimodal means one peak and bimodal means two peaks.
What are 'clusters' in a data distribution?
Clusters are concentrations of data within a distribution, which are often separated by gaps.
What is a key limitation of descriptive statistics?
Descriptive statistics summarize a specific data set but cannot be used to attribute its properties to a larger population.
What are the four main characteristics used to describe the distribution of quantitative data?
The four main characteristics are shape, center, variability, and unusual features.
How is the skew of a distribution determined?
A distribution's skew is determined by the length of its tails.