Average and Range Charts

Probability and Statistics · FE Reference Handbook section

Probability and Statistics

13 formulas

10 exam-style examples

~60 min

All Probability and Statistics lectures

Learning objectives

What you must be able to do before leaving this section.

This chapter section covers Average and Range Charts within Probability and Statistics. Read it the way you would read a textbook chapter: the theory first so the relations mean something, then every equation with its use and its trap, then 10 fully worked examples with the arithmetic shown line by line, and finally a self-check you should be able to answer without notes.

Explain, in your own words, what average and range charts describes physically and when it applies.
State every one of the 13 relations the handbook lists here and name each symbol with its unit.
Select the correct relation from the wording of an exam stem within 20 seconds.
Carry a complete solution from givens to a "most nearly" answer with the correct unit.
Recognise the distractors generated by the unit trap: probabilities are dimensionless and must land in [0, 1].

Lecture

Why this section exists. Average and Range Charts is the part of Probability and Statistics that lets you connect a sample of measurements from a construction or materials process to a number you can defend. Before any equation is useful you must be able to picture the physical situation it describes; the schematic below is that picture.

How the theory is built. The handbook prints results, not derivations. Each relation in this section comes from one governing principle applied to the idealised system: state the principle, impose the stated assumptions, and the printed equation follows. Knowing which assumption each relation rests on is what lets you reject a wrong answer choice in seconds.

How it is examined. Items from this page are written as one distribution or one counting rule, then a single probability or interval. Roughly two thirds are direct substitution, one third require one intermediate quantity from a neighbouring relation, and a small number are conceptual — testing whether you know the assumption, not the arithmetic.

The habit that earns the points. Unit discipline. probabilities are dimensionless and must land in [0, 1]. Every relation below is dimensionally consistent only when that rule is honoured, and the distractor set is deliberately built from candidates who ignored it. Write the unit next to every number you substitute, every time.

How to study this page. Read the theory, then cover the formula cards and try to reproduce each relation from its description. Then work the examples with the solution hidden, revealing one line at a time. Finish with the self-check questions; if you cannot answer one, return to the matching formula card.

Three engineers in hard hats and safety vests reviewing drawings on a truck tailgate. — Photo 1. Where this shows up in practice: average and range charts.
Capstone Studio instructional photograph

Probability and Statistics — Average and Range Charts: reference schematic for orienting the symbols used in this section.

Theory, developed

Read this before the equations — it is what makes them memorable.

The physical situation

Every item from this section describes a sample of measurements from a construction or materials process. Sketch it before you compute — a labelled sketch with the givens on it converts a wordy stem into a solvable problem and exposes the quantity the examiner left out on purpose.

The governing principle

The 13 relations on this page are consequences of one principle applied to that idealised system. Identify which quantity is conserved, balanced, or defined, and the correct equation follows without memorisation.

Assumptions and limits of validity

Each printed relation carries silent assumptions — linearity, steady state, uniformity, small deformation, or standard conditions, depending on the subject. Conceptual exam items are written by violating exactly one of these, so read the sentence above the equation as carefully as the equation itself.

Solution procedure you should automate

1) Read the last sentence of the stem to identify the requested quantity. 2) Locate the relation on this page whose left-hand side is that quantity. 3) Tabulate the givens with units and mark the missing symbol. 4) If a symbol is missing, find the one relation that produces it. 5) Rearrange symbolically, substitute once, evaluate, and round only at the end.

Notation used in this section

Xi	Quantity produced by "Xi = an individual observation" — read its definition and unit from the handbook line directly above the equation.
n	Quantity produced by "n = the sample size of a group" — read its definition and unit from the handbook line directly above the equation.
k	Quantity produced by "k = the number of groups" — read its definition and unit from the handbook line directly above the equation.
R	Quantity produced by "R = (range) the difference between the largest and smallest observations in a sample of size n." — read its definition and unit from the handbook line directly above the equation.
X	Quantity produced by "X= n" — read its definition and unit from the handbook line directly above the equation.
CLR	Quantity produced by "CLR = R" — read its definition and unit from the handbook line directly above the equation.
UCLR	Quantity produced by "UCLR = D4R" — read its definition and unit from the handbook line directly above the equation.
LCLR	Quantity produced by "LCLR = D3R" — read its definition and unit from the handbook line directly above the equation.
CLX	Quantity produced by "CLX = X" — read its definition and unit from the handbook line directly above the equation.
UCLX	Quantity produced by "UCLX = X + A2R" — read its definition and unit from the handbook line directly above the equation.
LCLX	Quantity produced by "LCLX = X - A2R" — read its definition and unit from the handbook line directly above the equation.

Handbook notes for this section

Definitions and conditions exactly as the handbook states them.

n A2 D3 D4
2 1.880 0 3.268
3 1.023 0 2.574
4 0.729 0 2.282
5 0.577 0 2.114
6 0.483 0 2.004
7 0.419 0.076 1.924
8 0.373 0.136 1.864
9 0.337 0.184 1.816
10 0.308 0.223 1.777
X1 + X2 + f + Xn
R1 + R2 + f + Rk
The R Chart formulas are:
The X Chart formulas are:

Core formulas for this FE topic

Definitions, applicability, units, assumptions and worked examples for each relation.

Worked exam-style examples

The four ways this section is written on the real exam — thoughts first, then equations, then substitution.

Example 1

Average and range charts: control limits from subgroup data — Average and Range Charts

Subgroups of n = 6 test specimens give a grand average of 33.00 and an average range of 2.40. Compute the control limits for both the average chart and the range chart.

Given

x̄̄ = 33.00
R̄ = 2.40
n = 6 → A₂ = 0.483, D₄ = 2.004

Find

UCL and LCL for the x̄ chart and the R chart

Start with the thinking

The average and range charts are read together: a stable range chart is required before the average chart means anything.
For n ≤ 6 the lower range limit D₃ is zero.

Step-by-step solution

Formula
$U C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ + A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$U C L = 33.00 + 0.483 (2.40) = 34.159$
Formula
$L C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ - A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$L C L = 33.00 - 0.483 (2.40) = 31.841$
Range chart
$U C L_{R} = D_{4} R ˉ = 2.004 (2.40) = 4.810, L C L_{R} = 0$

Answer: x̄ chart: 31.84 to 34.16; R chart: 0 to 4.81

Why the other options are there

±7.20 (used 3R̄ directly)
UCL_R = 2.40 (no D₄ factor)

Reference: FE Reference Handbook — Probability and Statistics → Average and Range Charts

Example 2

Average and range charts: control limits from subgroup data — Average and Range Charts (2)

Subgroups of n = 5 test specimens give a grand average of 36.50 and an average range of 4.10. Compute the control limits for both the average chart and the range chart.

Given

x̄̄ = 36.50
R̄ = 4.10
n = 5 → A₂ = 0.577, D₄ = 2.114

Find

UCL and LCL for the x̄ chart and the R chart

Start with the thinking

The average and range charts are read together: a stable range chart is required before the average chart means anything.
For n ≤ 6 the lower range limit D₃ is zero.

Step-by-step solution

Formula
$U C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ + A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$U C L = 36.50 + 0.577 (4.10) = 38.866$
Formula
$L C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ - A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$L C L = 36.50 - 0.577 (4.10) = 34.134$
Range chart
$U C L_{R} = D_{4} R ˉ = 2.114 (4.10) = 8.667, L C L_{R} = 0$

Answer: x̄ chart: 34.13 to 38.87; R chart: 0 to 8.67

Why the other options are there

±12.30 (used 3R̄ directly)
UCL_R = 4.10 (no D₄ factor)

Reference: FE Reference Handbook — Probability and Statistics → Average and Range Charts

Example 3

Average and range charts: control limits from subgroup data — Average and Range Charts (3)

Subgroups of n = 4 test specimens give a grand average of 43.50 and an average range of 4.70. Compute the control limits for both the average chart and the range chart.

Given

x̄̄ = 43.50
R̄ = 4.70
n = 4 → A₂ = 0.729, D₄ = 2.282

Find

UCL and LCL for the x̄ chart and the R chart

Start with the thinking

The average and range charts are read together: a stable range chart is required before the average chart means anything.
For n ≤ 6 the lower range limit D₃ is zero.

Step-by-step solution

Formula
$U C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ + A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$U C L = 43.50 + 0.729 (4.70) = 46.926$
Formula
$L C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ - A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$L C L = 43.50 - 0.729 (4.70) = 40.074$
Range chart
$U C L_{R} = D_{4} R ˉ = 2.282 (4.70) = 10.725, L C L_{R} = 0$

Answer: x̄ chart: 40.07 to 46.93; R chart: 0 to 10.73

Why the other options are there

±14.10 (used 3R̄ directly)
UCL_R = 4.70 (no D₄ factor)

Reference: FE Reference Handbook — Probability and Statistics → Average and Range Charts

Example 4

Average and range charts: control limits from subgroup data — Average and Range Charts (4)

Subgroups of n = 6 test specimens give a grand average of 25.00 and an average range of 2.40. Compute the control limits for both the average chart and the range chart.

Given

x̄̄ = 25.00
R̄ = 2.40
n = 6 → A₂ = 0.483, D₄ = 2.004

Find

UCL and LCL for the x̄ chart and the R chart

Start with the thinking

The average and range charts are read together: a stable range chart is required before the average chart means anything.
For n ≤ 6 the lower range limit D₃ is zero.

Step-by-step solution

Formula
$U C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ + A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$U C L = 25.00 + 0.483 (2.40) = 26.159$
Formula
$L C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ - A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$L C L = 25.00 - 0.483 (2.40) = 23.841$
Range chart
$U C L_{R} = D_{4} R ˉ = 2.004 (2.40) = 4.810, L C L_{R} = 0$

Answer: x̄ chart: 23.84 to 26.16; R chart: 0 to 4.81

Why the other options are there

±7.20 (used 3R̄ directly)
UCL_R = 2.40 (no D₄ factor)

Reference: FE Reference Handbook — Probability and Statistics → Average and Range Charts

Example 5

Average and range charts: control limits from subgroup data — Average and Range Charts (5)

Subgroups of n = 5 test specimens give a grand average of 46.50 and an average range of 5.20. Compute the control limits for both the average chart and the range chart.

Given

x̄̄ = 46.50
R̄ = 5.20
n = 5 → A₂ = 0.577, D₄ = 2.114

Find

UCL and LCL for the x̄ chart and the R chart

Start with the thinking

The average and range charts are read together: a stable range chart is required before the average chart means anything.
For n ≤ 6 the lower range limit D₃ is zero.

Step-by-step solution

Formula
$U C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ + A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$U C L = 46.50 + 0.577 (5.20) = 49.500$
Formula
$L C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ - A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$L C L = 46.50 - 0.577 (5.20) = 43.500$
Range chart
$U C L_{R} = D_{4} R ˉ = 2.114 (5.20) = 10.993, L C L_{R} = 0$

Answer: x̄ chart: 43.50 to 49.50; R chart: 0 to 10.99

Why the other options are there

±15.60 (used 3R̄ directly)
UCL_R = 5.20 (no D₄ factor)

Reference: FE Reference Handbook — Probability and Statistics → Average and Range Charts

Example 6

Average and range charts: control limits from subgroup data — Average and Range Charts (6)

Subgroups of n = 4 test specimens give a grand average of 43.50 and an average range of 4.40. Compute the control limits for both the average chart and the range chart.

Given

x̄̄ = 43.50
R̄ = 4.40
n = 4 → A₂ = 0.729, D₄ = 2.282

Find

UCL and LCL for the x̄ chart and the R chart

Start with the thinking

The average and range charts are read together: a stable range chart is required before the average chart means anything.
For n ≤ 6 the lower range limit D₃ is zero.

Step-by-step solution

Formula
$U C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ + A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$U C L = 43.50 + 0.729 (4.40) = 46.708$
Formula
$L C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ - A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$L C L = 43.50 - 0.729 (4.40) = 40.292$
Range chart
$U C L_{R} = D_{4} R ˉ = 2.282 (4.40) = 10.041, L C L_{R} = 0$

Answer: x̄ chart: 40.29 to 46.71; R chart: 0 to 10.04

Why the other options are there

±13.20 (used 3R̄ directly)
UCL_R = 4.40 (no D₄ factor)

Reference: FE Reference Handbook — Probability and Statistics → Average and Range Charts

Example 7

Average and range charts: control limits from subgroup data — Average and Range Charts (7)

Subgroups of n = 6 test specimens give a grand average of 33.50 and an average range of 2.80. Compute the control limits for both the average chart and the range chart.

Given

x̄̄ = 33.50
R̄ = 2.80
n = 6 → A₂ = 0.483, D₄ = 2.004

Find

UCL and LCL for the x̄ chart and the R chart

Start with the thinking

The average and range charts are read together: a stable range chart is required before the average chart means anything.
For n ≤ 6 the lower range limit D₃ is zero.

Step-by-step solution

Formula
$U C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ + A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$U C L = 33.50 + 0.483 (2.80) = 34.852$
Formula
$L C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ - A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$L C L = 33.50 - 0.483 (2.80) = 32.148$
Range chart
$U C L_{R} = D_{4} R ˉ = 2.004 (2.80) = 5.611, L C L_{R} = 0$

Answer: x̄ chart: 32.15 to 34.85; R chart: 0 to 5.61

Why the other options are there

±8.40 (used 3R̄ directly)
UCL_R = 2.80 (no D₄ factor)

Reference: FE Reference Handbook — Probability and Statistics → Average and Range Charts

Example 8

Average and range charts: control limits from subgroup data — Average and Range Charts (8)

Subgroups of n = 5 test specimens give a grand average of 28.00 and an average range of 3.90. Compute the control limits for both the average chart and the range chart.

Given

x̄̄ = 28.00
R̄ = 3.90
n = 5 → A₂ = 0.577, D₄ = 2.114

Find

UCL and LCL for the x̄ chart and the R chart

Start with the thinking

The average and range charts are read together: a stable range chart is required before the average chart means anything.
For n ≤ 6 the lower range limit D₃ is zero.

Step-by-step solution

Formula
$U C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ + A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$U C L = 28.00 + 0.577 (3.90) = 30.250$
Formula
$L C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ - A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$L C L = 28.00 - 0.577 (3.90) = 25.750$
Range chart
$U C L_{R} = D_{4} R ˉ = 2.114 (3.90) = 8.245, L C L_{R} = 0$

Answer: x̄ chart: 25.75 to 30.25; R chart: 0 to 8.24

Why the other options are there

±11.70 (used 3R̄ directly)
UCL_R = 3.90 (no D₄ factor)

Reference: FE Reference Handbook — Probability and Statistics → Average and Range Charts

Example 9

Average and range charts: control limits from subgroup data — Average and Range Charts (9)

Subgroups of n = 4 test specimens give a grand average of 78.50 and an average range of 5.90. Compute the control limits for both the average chart and the range chart.

Given

x̄̄ = 78.50
R̄ = 5.90
n = 4 → A₂ = 0.729, D₄ = 2.282

Find

UCL and LCL for the x̄ chart and the R chart

Start with the thinking

The average and range charts are read together: a stable range chart is required before the average chart means anything.
For n ≤ 6 the lower range limit D₃ is zero.

Step-by-step solution

Formula
$U C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ + A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$U C L = 78.50 + 0.729 (5.90) = 82.801$
Formula
$L C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ - A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$L C L = 78.50 - 0.729 (5.90) = 74.199$
Range chart
$U C L_{R} = D_{4} R ˉ = 2.282 (5.90) = 13.464, L C L_{R} = 0$

Answer: x̄ chart: 74.20 to 82.80; R chart: 0 to 13.46

Why the other options are there

±17.70 (used 3R̄ directly)
UCL_R = 5.90 (no D₄ factor)

Reference: FE Reference Handbook — Probability and Statistics → Average and Range Charts

Example 10

Average and range charts: control limits from subgroup data — Average and Range Charts (10)

Subgroups of n = 6 test specimens give a grand average of 49.50 and an average range of 2.70. Compute the control limits for both the average chart and the range chart.

Given

x̄̄ = 49.50
R̄ = 2.70
n = 6 → A₂ = 0.483, D₄ = 2.004

Find

UCL and LCL for the x̄ chart and the R chart

Start with the thinking

The average and range charts are read together: a stable range chart is required before the average chart means anything.
For n ≤ 6 the lower range limit D₃ is zero.

Step-by-step solution

Formula
$U C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ + A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$U C L = 49.50 + 0.483 (2.70) = 50.804$
Formula
$L C L_{x ˉ} = x ˉ ˉ - A_{2} R ˉ$
Substituting
$L C L = 49.50 - 0.483 (2.70) = 48.196$
Range chart
$U C L_{R} = D_{4} R ˉ = 2.004 (2.70) = 5.411, L C L_{R} = 0$

Answer: x̄ chart: 48.20 to 50.80; R chart: 0 to 5.41

Why the other options are there

±8.10 (used 3R̄ directly)
UCL_R = 2.70 (no D₄ factor)

Reference: FE Reference Handbook — Probability and Statistics → Average and Range Charts

Self-check

Answer these without notes before moving on.

Without looking, state the relation on this page whose left-hand side is the quantity most often requested, and name every symbol in it.
Which assumption, if violated, makes the main relation of this section invalid?
Given a sample of measurements from a construction or materials process, what is the first quantity you would compute, and why that one first?
Which unit conversion in this subject most often produces a wrong answer choice, and what is its numerical factor?
Rework Example 1 above from the givens alone, without reading the solution lines.

Chapter summary

Average and Range Charts contains 13 relations; you must be able to find this page in under 15 seconds.
Exam style: one distribution or one counting rule, then a single probability or interval.
Unit rule: probabilities are dimensionless and must land in [0, 1].
Work the 10 examples until the solution path, not the answer, is automatic.

Common traps in this section

probabilities are dimensionless and must land in [0, 1]
Answering the intermediate quantity instead of the quantity requested.
Rounding intermediate values before the final step.
Using a relation from an adjacent handbook section that shares a symbol.
Skipping the sketch — most lost points on this page start with a misread geometry.