What does 'range' refer to in a set of numbers?

Range is defined as the difference between the highest and lowest values in a set of numbers. This means you take the largest number in the set and subtract the smallest number from it. The result gives you the range, which provides a measure of how spread out the values are within that set.

For example, if you have the numbers 3, 7, and 10, the highest number is 10 and the lowest is 3. The range would be calculated as 10 - 3, which equals 7. This shows that the values vary by 7 units.

In contrast, the other options represent different statistical concepts. The most frequent number refers to the mode, the average is calculated as the mean, and the middle score when arranged in order pertains to the median. Each of these serves a different purpose in analyzing data, but they do not define the range. Thus, recognizing that range is specifically about the difference between the highest and lowest values helps distinguish it from these other statistical terms.