Empirical Rule Calculator

Use this unified calculator to apply the Empirical Rule (68-95-99.7 rule) to both ungrouped (raw) data and grouped (frequency distribution) data. The empirical rule describes the distribution of data in a bell-shaped (normal) distribution.

Quick Start

Empirical Rule Calculator
Data Type Ungrouped (Raw Data) Grouped (Frequency Distribution)
Enter the X Values (Separated by comma,)
Type of Frequency Distribution DiscreteContinuous
Enter the Classes for X (Separated by comma,)
Enter the frequencies (f) (Separated by comma,)
Results
Number of Observations (n):
Mean of X values: (x̄)
Standard Deviation (SD):
68% of Data falls between:
95% of Data falls between:
99.7% of Data falls between:

The Empirical Rule (68-95-99.7 Rule)

For bell-shaped (approximately normal) distributions:

  • 68% of data falls within ±1 standard deviation of the mean
  • 95% of data falls within ±2 standard deviations of the mean
  • 99.7% of data falls within ±3 standard deviations of the mean

Formulas

Range Calculations:

  • 68% range: x̄ ± 1σ = [x̄ - σ, x̄ + σ]
  • 95% range: x̄ ± 2σ = [x̄ - 2σ, x̄ + 2σ]
  • 99.7% range: x̄ ± 3σ = [x̄ - 3σ, x̄ + 3σ]

Where:

  • x̄ = mean
  • σ = standard deviation

When to Use

✓ Data appears approximately normal/bell-shaped ✓ Quick estimation of data spread ✓ Identifying unusual values (outliers) ✓ Quality control in manufacturing


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