In data visualization, a box plot is primarily used to show what?

A box plot, also known as a whisker plot, is a standardized way of displaying the distribution of data based on a five-number summary: minimum, first quartile (Q1), median, third quartile (Q3), and maximum. This visualization effectively highlights the central tendency, variability, and overall distribution of the dataset, making it particularly useful for identifying outliers.

By showing the interquartile range (the range between Q1 and Q3) and the median, it allows viewers to quickly assess where most of the data points fall and how spread out they are. Furthermore, the "whiskers" of the box plot can also indicate potential outliers that fall outside of the expected range, further emphasizing the concept of data distribution and highlighting any extreme values present within the dataset.

This makes the box plot a powerful tool for analyzing and comparing distributions across multiple groups or categories, as it succinctly summarizes the data in a visually accessible way.