Box plots are useful for visualizing the distribution of a single numeric variable and identifying potential outliers. They are particularly effective for comparing the distribution of data across different categories or groups.

A box plot consists of a box, which encloses the first and third quartiles, and whiskers, which typically extend from the quartiles to the minimum and maximum values within 1.5 times the interquartile range. These components make box plots an excellent tool for summarizing data distributions clearly and concisely.