A box plot is a graphical representation used to display the distribution of a dataset. It summarizes key statistics, including the minimum, first quartile, median, third quartile, and maximum values. The central box represents the interquartile range (IQR), which contains the middle 50% of the data, while the "whiskers" extend to show the range of the data outside the IQR. Box plots are useful for comparing multiple datasets and identifying outliers, which are data points that fall significantly outside the overall pattern. They provide a clear visual summary, making it easier to understand the spread and skewness of the data, especially in fields like statistics and data analysis.