Worked Out Examples

Example 1
If n = 50, Ex
2
= 600, Ex = 150, M
o
= 1.75, find the Pearsonian coefficient of skewness.
Solution:
Here, n = 50, Ex
2
= 600, Ex = 150, M
o
= 1.75
3
50
150
= =

=
n
x
X

732 . 1
3
9 12
50
150
50
600
2
2
2
2
=
=
=
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
.
|

\
|

=
o
o
n
x
n
x

Now, S
k
(P) = 72 . 0
732 . 1
75 . 1 3
=

o
o
M X

Example 2
A frequency distribution gives the results: mean = 40, Mode = 39 and coefficient of skewness = 0.5.
Find the standard deviation and coefficient of variation.
Solution:
Here, Mean ( X ) = 40, Mode (M
o
) = 39 and S
k
= 0.5
S
k
(P)=

o
o
M X

0.5 =

o
39 40

o = 2
CV=

% 5 % 100
40
2
% 100 = =
X
o



Example 3
From the following information of a factory relating to the wages, find as much information as you
can about the distribution of wages.
Arithmetic Mean 56.80
Median 59.50
S.D. 12.40
Solution:
We can obtain the following information from the above data:
1. Since Median = Rs. 59.50, we conclude that 50% of the wrokers in the factory obtain the
wages above Rs. 59.50
2. Mode = 3Median-4Mean = 359.50 = Rs. 64.90.
3. C.V. = % 83 . 21
80 . 56
100 40 . 12
% 100 =

=
x
o

4. Karl Pearsons coefficient of skewness
S
k
= 65 . 0
40 . 12
) 70 . 2 ( 3
40 . 12
) 80 . 59 80 . 56 ( 3 ) ( 3
=

o
d
M x

Example 4
a. If the quartile coefficient of skewness is 0.5, quartile deviation is 8 and the first quartile is
16, find the median of the distribution.
b. In a distribution, the difference of two quartiles is 15 and their sum is 35 and the median
is 20. Find the coefficient of skewness.

Solution:
a. S
k
(B) = 0.5, Q.D. = 8, Q
1
= 16, M
d
= ?
Q.D. =
2
1 3
Q Q

or,
8 =
2
16
3
Q

Q
3
= 32
Now, S
k
(B) =
1 3
1 3
2
Q Q
M Q Q
d

+

or,
0.5=
16 32
2 16 32

+
d
M

or,
8 = 48-2M
d

M
d
= 20

b. Q
3
-Q
1
= 15.(i)
Q
3
+Q
1
= 35(ii)
Solving equation (i) and (ii), we get
Q
3
= 25, Q
1
= 10 and M
d
= 20
Coefficient of skewness S
k
(B) =
1 3
1 3
2
Q Q
M Q Q
d

+

=
10 25
20 2 10 25

+

= 0.33
Example 5
Calculate the Pearsons measure of skewness on the basis of mean, mode and standard deviation.
Mid value (x) 14.5 15.5 16.5 17.5 18.5 19.5 20.5 21.5
Frequency (f) 35 40 48 100 125 87 43 22

Here, the mid value x are the mid-values of class intervals having class width 1. So, the intervals are
14-15, 15-16...and so on.
The continuous frequency distribution of the given data is as follows:
CALCULATION FOR MEAN, MODE AND S.D.
Class Mid value (x) f d=x-18.5 fd fd
2

14-15
15-16
16-17
17-18
18-19
19-20
20-21
21-22
14.5
15.5
16.5
17.5
18.5
19.5
20.5
21.5
35
40
48
100
125
87
43
22
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
3
-140
-120
-96
-100
0
87
86
66
560
360
192
100
0
87
172
198
N = 500 Efd = -217 Efd
2
= 1669
Here, the maximum frequency is 125. Thus the corresponding class 18-19 is the modal class.
Let, f
1
= 125, f
0
= 100, f
2
= 87, l = 18, h = 1
Mode (M
o
)= 397 . 18
63
25
18
87 100 250
) 100 125 ( 1
18
2
) (
2 0 1
0 1
= + =


+ =


+
f f f
f f h
l
Mean( x )= 066 . 18 434 . 0 5 . 18
500
) 217 (
5 . 18 = + =

+ =

+
N
fd
a
S.D. (o)=
2 2 2
) 217 ( 1669 500
500
1
) (
1
= fd fd N
N

Now,
S
k
= 186 . 0
775 . 1
397 . 18 066 . 18
=

o
o
M x

Hence, the distribution is slightly negatively skewed.

Example 6
Calculate Karl Pearsons coefficient of skewness from the data given below:
Daily Wages (Rs.) 40-50 50-60 60-70 70-80 80-90 90-10
No. of workers 5 16 8 16 25 30
Solution
Since the maximum frequency viz. 30 occurs towards the end of the frequency distribution,
mode is ill-defined. Hence, we obtain the Karl Pearsons coefficient of skewness using median.
COMPUTAION OF MEAN, MEDIAN AND S.D.
Daily wage
(Rs.)
Midvalue
(X)
No. of workers
(f)
10
75
'

=
X
d
' fd
2
' fd
Less than
c.f.
40-50
50-60
60-70
70-80
80-90
90-100
45
55
65
75
85
95
5
16
8
16
25
30
-3
-2
-1
0
1
2
-15
-32
-8
0
25
30
45
64
8
0
25
120
5
21
29
45
70
100
N = Ef = 100
E ' fd = 30
E
2
' fd = 262


Mean = 78
100
30
10 75
'
= + =

+
N
f d
h a

For Median, . 50
2
100
2
= =
N
The c.f. just greater than 50 is 70. Hence, the corresponding class 80-
90 is median class.
Now, Median = 82
25
10
) 45 50 ( 80
2
= + =

|
.
|

\
|

+
f
h cf
N
l
S.D.(o) = 91 . 15
100
30
100
262
10
' '
2 2
2
=
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
.
|

\
|

N
f d
N
f d
h
S
k
=
( ) ( )
754 . 0
91 . 15
82 78 3 3
=

o
Median Mean


Example 7

Calculate the coefficient of skewness from the following data by using quartiles (i.e. Bowleys
coefficient).
Marks No. of students Marks No. of students
Above 0 180 Above 60 65
Above 15 160 Above 75 20
Above 30 130 Above 90 5
Above 45 100

Solution:
Here more than cumulative frequency distribution is given. To compute quartiles, we first express it
as a continuous frequency distribution as:

COMPUTAION OF QUARTILES
MARKS No. of students (f) Less than c.f.
0-15
15-30
30-45
45-60
60-75
75-90
Above 90
180-60 = 20
160-130 = 30
130-100 = 30
100-60 = 35
65-20 = 45
20-5 = 15
5
20
50
80
115
160
175
180
Total N = Ef = 180

Here, 135
4
3
45
4
180
4
, 90
2
180
2
= = = = =
N
and
N N

The c.f. just greater than 90
2
=
N
is 115. Hence, the corresponding class 45-60 is the median class
( ) 29 . 49 80 90
35
15
45
2
= + =
|
.
|

\
|
+ = cf
N
f
h
l M
d

The c.f. just greater than 45
4
=
N
is 50. Hence, the corresponding class 15 30 contains Q
1

( ) 29 . 49 80 90
35
15
45
4
1
= + =
|
.
|

\
|
+ = c
N
f
h
L Q
The c.f just greater than 135
4
3
=
N
is 160. Hence the corresponding class 60 75 contains Q
3
.
( ) 67 . 66 115 135
45
10
60
4
3
3
= + =
|
.
|

\
|
+ = c
N
f
h
L Q
Coefficient of skewness S
k
(B) = 126 . 0
50 . 27 67 . 66
29 . 49 2 50 . 27 67 . 66 2
1 3
1 3
=

+
=

+
Q Q
M Q Q
d


Exercise

1.
a. Explain the concept of skewness. Draw the sketch of a skewed frequency
distribution and show the position of mean, median and mode when the
distribution is asymmetric.
b. Define Pearsons measure of skewness. What are the difference between relative
measure and the absolute measure of skewness.
2.
a. In a asymmetric distribution, the mean and mode are 32.1 and 35.4 respectively.
Calculate the median.
b. In n = 2, Ex = 240, Ex
2
= 4860 and M
o
= 18.6, find the coefficient of skewness
based on mean and standard deviation.
c. The sum of 50 observations is 500 and the sum of their squares is 6000 and
median is 12. Compute the coefficient of variation and coefficient of skewness.
3.
a. In a distribution the Pearsons coefficient of skewness is 0.4 and its coefficient of
variation is 30%. Its mode is 88. Find the mean and median.
b. Pearsons coefficient of skewness of a distribution is 0.5. its median and mode
are respectively 42 and 36. Find the coefficient of variation.
4.
a. In a symmetric distribution, the first quartile is 142 and the semi-interquartile
range is 18. Find the median.
b. Find the coefficient of skewness from the information:
Sum of two quartiles = 22 Mode = 11
Difference of two quartiles = 8 Mean = 8
c. In a frequency distribution, coefficient of skewness based on quartiles is 0.6. if
the sum of upper and lower quartiles is 100 and median is 38, find the values of
upper and lower quartiles.
5.
a. Consider the following wages distribution of two factories.
Factory A Factory B
Arithmetic Mean 50 45
Mode 45 50
Variance 100 100
Is the distribution of factory A same as the distribution B regarding the degree of
variation and skewness?
6.
a. Calculate the coefficient of skewness based on mean and median from the
following distribution:
Wage (Rs.) 0-10 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60 60-70 70-80
No. of workers 6 12 22 48 56 32 18 6

b. From the following data find out Karl Pearsons coefficient of skewness
Marks: 10 11 12 13 14 15
No. of Candidates: 2 4 10 8 5 1
c. Calculate Karl Pearsons coefficient of skewness from the following data
Marks Frequency
Above 30
Above 40
Above 50
Above 60
Above 70
60
51
26
25
0


d. From the following data of age of employees, calculate mean, mode and
coefficient of skewness.
Age below (yrs.) 25 30 35 40 45 50 55
No. of employees 8 20 40 65 80 92 100

7.
a. From the following frequency distribution, calculate the Bowleys coefficient of
skewness.
Monthly Income (in Rs.) No. of workers
Below 100 10
100-150 25
150-200 145
200-250 220
250-300 70
300 and below 30
b. Compute Bowleys coefficient of skewness from the following data:
Marks 10-15 15-20 20-25 25-30 30-35
No. of workers 8 12 20 18 2


Answers
2 a. 34.3 b. 0.625 c. 44.7%, -1.34
3 a. 100.96 b. 40%
4 a. 160 b. 0.5 c. 70.30
5 C.V. (A) = 20 C.V. (B) = 22.2 S
k
(A) = +0.5 C.V. (B) =-0.5, different with regard to both e.v. and
s.k.
6 a. S
k
= -0.085 b. 0.3478 c. 0.93 d. X = 37.25 yrs, M
o
= 36.67yrs, S
k
= 0.07
7 a. -0.1022 b. -0.08