The range is used to determine the spread of a set of data. It is a statistical measure that represents the difference between the largest and smallest value in a dataset. By calculating the range, one can get an idea about how widely dispersed the data is. A larger range indicates a greater spread of data, while a smaller range indicates a more narrow distribution. Thus, the range is a useful tool in summarizing and analyzing data, and it helps in making decisions based on the variability of the dataset.