How the Range Calculator works

The range is the difference between the largest and smallest values in your dataset. In one line:

• Range = max − min

That simplicity is exactly why the range is so popular: it’s fast to compute and easy to explain. But there’s a catch—range can be heavily influenced by just one extreme value (an outlier). That’s why this calculator shows you min, max, and an optional sorted list so you can immediately spot weird values.

Suppose your numbers are: 6, 8, 9, 12, 14. The minimum is 6, the maximum is 14, so the range is: 14 − 6 = 8.

Numbers: 1.2, 1.7, 2.0, 1.5. Min = 1.2, Max = 2.0 → Range = 0.8. When you choose decimal places, we round the displayed result, not the underlying math.

Numbers: 10, 11, 12, 13, 100. Min = 10, Max = 100 → Range = 90. But four of the five values are between 10 and 13. The range screams “huge spread” mainly because of the single outlier (100). In this situation, you might also want a measure like standard deviation or IQR—but range is still useful as a quick flag.

• Min: smallest value found
• Max: largest value found
• Range: max − min
• Count: how many valid numbers were detected
• Midrange: (min + max) / 2 (sometimes used in quick summaries)
• Sorted list (optional): useful for checking input and spotting outliers

• You can separate numbers with commas, spaces, tabs, or new lines.
• We also understand scientific notation like 3.2e-4.
• If you paste text plus numbers, we extract only the numbers automatically.
• If your dataset includes negative values, that’s fine—range still works the same way.

Want to go one step beyond? The range gives you a fast “spread snapshot,” but pairing it with mean or median tells the story better: you get both “center” and “spread.” That’s why we interlink to the mean/median/mode tools below.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the range in statistics?

  The range is a measure of variability that equals the largest value minus the smallest value in a dataset. It tells you the full spread from the minimum to the maximum.

• What’s the difference between range and “interval”?

  “Range” usually means the numeric difference (max − min). An “interval” often means the span itself, like [min, max]. This calculator gives you both: the difference and the min/max endpoints.

• Can range be negative?

  No. Because max is always ≥ min, max − min is always ≥ 0. If all your numbers are identical, the range is 0.

• Does order matter?

  Not at all. Range depends only on the smallest and largest values. The calculator can also show a sorted list so you can verify what you entered.

• Why does one weird number change the range so much?

  Because range only uses two numbers: min and max. If either one is an outlier, the range expands. That’s why range is best for quick checks, and why people often pair it with IQR or standard deviation.

• How should I report range in a report or lab?

  A common pattern is: “Values ranged from min to max (range = X).” Example: “Temperatures ranged from 18.2°C to 24.9°C (range = 6.7°C).”

• What if my list contains blanks or non-numbers?

  That’s okay. We ignore anything that isn’t a number and compute results from what remains. If no valid numbers are found, we show an error.

Make this shareable (on purpose)

Range is surprisingly “viral” when you give it a fun context. People share “spread” results all the time—grades, steps, sleep, prices, and more. Here are a few caption ideas you can use immediately:

• “My sleep range this week 😭” → paste your nightly hours.
• “Price range check before I buy” → paste product prices.
• “Exam score range for the group chat” → paste everyone’s scores.
• “Workout heart-rate range” → paste heart-rate samples.
• “How chaotic is my day?” → paste time durations (minutes).

For maximum shareability, keep the input small (5–15 numbers) and use the “Copy” button to paste the clean result into your caption.