Skewness

Karl Pearson’s coefficient of skewness

Mean  Mode
Sk 
SD
Sk = 3(Mean – Median)/SD
 If skewness is less than -1 or greater than 1, the distribution is highly skewed.
 If skewness is between -1 and -0.5 or between 0.5 and 1, the distribution is
moderately skewed.
 If skewness is between -0.5 and 0.5, the distribution is approximately symmetric.

Skewness is zero if mean=median=mode, for a symmetrical distribution – mean,

median and mode coincide.

For a positively skewed distribution, the value of Mean is the greatest of the three
measures and the value of Mode is the least of the three measures.

For a negatively skewed distribution, the value of Mode is the greatest of the three
measures and the value of Mean is the least of the three measures.

Range = Xmax - Xmin

Xmax = mean + ½(range)

Xmin = mean – ½(range)

Xmax + Xmin = 2Mean

1. Calculate the Karl Pearson’s coefficient of skewness:

Size (x) Frequency (f) fx X2 Fx2

1 10 10 1 10
2 18 36 4 72
3 30 90 9 270
4 25 100 16 400
5 12 60 25 300
6 3 18 36 108
 7 2 14 49 98
Total N=100 ∑fx=32 ∑fx2 = 1258
8

Mean = ∑fx /N = 3.28

Mode = 3
SD = underroot (∑fx2/N)-(Mean)2 = underroot((1258/100) – 3.282 = 1.35
Sk = (Mean-Mode)/sd = (3.28 – 3)/1.35 = 0.2075
Distribution is positively skewed.

2. Calculate the Karl Pearson’s coefficient of skewness:

Hourly No. of Workers Mid point (x) fx Less than cf

Wages (Rs) (f)
40-50 5 45 5
50-60 6 55 11
60-70 8 65 19
70-80 10 75 29
80-90 25 85 54
90-100 30 95 84
100-110 36 105 120
110-120 50 115 170 – median class
120-130 60 125 230
130-140 70 135 300
Total 300

Mean = 110.93
Since the maximum frequency 70 occurs towards the end of the frequency
distribution, mode is not defined properly. Hence, use the formula with
median.
Median = 116
SD = 22.3043
 Sk = 3(Mean-Median)/SD = -0.6819
Distribution is negatively skewed

3. Find Karl Pearson’s coefficient of skewness.

Wages more than (Rs) Number of earners

5 100
15 80
25 75
35 60
45 55
55 20
65 0

Wages f Mid fx cf x- (x-xbar)2 f(x-xbar)2

(Rs) point x xbar
5-15 20 10 200 20 -29 841 16820
15-25 5 20 100 25 -19 361 1805
25-35 15 30 450 40 -9 81 1215
35-45 5 40 200 45 1 1 5
45-55 35 50 1750 80 – 11 121 4235
median
class
55-65 20 60 1200 100 21 441 8820
N=100 3900 1846 32900

Mean = 3900/100 = 39
N/2 = 50
Median = 45 + (50 – 45)/35 *10 = 46.42
SD = underroot (32900/100) = 18.13
Sk = 3(mean – median)/sd = 3(39-46.42)/18.13 = -1.22
Distribution is negatively skewed
 4. Consider the following distributions:

Distribution A Distribution B
Mean 100 90
Median 90 80
SD 10 10

a. Distribution A has the same degree of the variation as distribution B

b. Both distributions have same degree of skewness. True/False.

CV for distribution A = 100* SD/Mean = 100*10/100 = 10%

CV for distribution B = 100*10/90 = 11.11%

CV for distribution B has more variation than CV for distribution A.

Statement (a) is wrong.

(b) Sk = 3(mean-median)/sd = 3(100-90)/10 = 3

Sk (B) = 3(90-80)10 = 3

True statement

5. Pearson’s coefficient of skewness for a distribution is 0.4 and its coefficient

of variation is 30%. Its mode is 88, find mean and median.

Given: Sk = 0.4; CV = 30%; mode = 88

Find: mean and median

Sk = (Mean – Mode)/sd
0.4 = (mean-88)/sd ---- A

CV = sd/mean *100
30 = 100sd/mean
Sd = 30mean/100 --- B

Substituting B in A
0.4 = (mean – 88)/ 30mean/100
0.4 = 100(mean – 88)/ 30mean) = (100mean – 8800)/30mean
0.4 *30mean = 100mean – 8800
12mean = 100mean-8800
 8800 = 88mean
Mean = 100

Substituting mean in B, we get SD = 30

Sk = 3(mean-median)/sd
0.4 = (3*100 – 3median)/30
Median = 96

6. Scores of 100 students in an aptitude test are given below: calculate Karl
Pearson’s coefficient of skewness.

Scores No of students Mid point (x) fx (x- (x- f(x-

(f) xbar) xbar)2 xbar)2
0-10 10 5 50 -26.4 696.96 6969.6
10-20 15 15 225 -16.4 268.96 4034.4
20-30 24 25 600 -6.4 40.96 983.04
30-40 25 – modal class 35 875 3.6 12.96 324
40-50 10 45 450 13.6 184.96 1849.6
50-60 10 55 550 23.6 556.96 5569.6
60-70 6 65 390 33.6 1128.9 6773.76
6
N=100 Total 3140 26504

Mean = ∑fx/N = 3140/100 = 31.4

Mode = L+ h*(f1-f0)/(2f1-f0-f2)
= 30 + 10(25-24)/(2*25-24-10) = 30.63

Sd = underroot(∑f(x-xbar)2/N) = underroot(26504/100) = 16.28

Sk = (mean – mode)/sd = (31.4 – 30.63)/16.28 =0.04

Distribution is low degree of positively skewed

 If skewness is less than -1 or greater than 1, the distribution is highly skewed.
 If skewness is between -1 and -0.5 or between 0.5 and 1, the distribution is
moderately skewed.
 If skewness is between -0.5 and 0.5, the distribution is approximately symmetric.