Distribution

A distribution tells you the pattern of a variable: its center, its spread, and its overall shape. For example, the distribution of quiz scores might cluster near 8 out of 10 with a few low outliers. You often summarize a distribution with a center like the mean or median and a spread like the standard deviation or range. Graphs such as dotplots, histograms, and boxplots let you see a distribution's shape at a glance.