Lower quartile is defined as

• A. The value that cuts off the lowest 25% of the data.
• B. The median of the entire data set.
• C. The value that separates the top 25% from the rest.
• D. The maximum value.

Answer: (A)

The lower quartile marks the 25th percentile of a dataset, meaning it is the value below which 25% of observations fall. It separates the bottom quarter from the rest, so 25% of all data are at or below this point and 75% are above it. This is different from the median, which divides the data into two equal halves (the 50th percentile), and from the upper quartile, which is the 75th percentile dividing the top 25% from the rest. It is also not the maximum value. So the statement that the lower quartile is the value that cuts off the lowest 25% of the data correctly describes its meaning.