Chapter 2

Descriptive Statistics
 Frequency
Distributions and
Their Graphs
 Frequency Distributions
A frequency distribution is a table that shows class
limits/class/ classes intervals (grouping defined by lower
limit and an upper limit) of data with a count of the number
in each class. The frequency f of a class is the number of
data points in the class.
Class Interval Frequency, f
1–4 4
Upper
Lower 5–8 5
Class 9 – 12 3 Frequencies
Limits
13 – 16 4
17 – 20 2

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 Frequency Distributions
The class width is the distance between lower (or
upper) limits of consecutive classes.

Class Interval f
1–4 4
5–1=4 5–8 5
9–5=4 9 – 12 3
13 – 9 = 4 13 – 16 4
17 – 13 = 4 17 – 20 2
The class width is 4.
Note: all class width should be equal

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 Frequency Distributions
The range is the difference between the maximum and
minimum data entries.

Class Interval f
1–4 4
5–8 5
9 – 12 3
13 – 16 4
17 – 20 2
The range is 19.

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Constructing a Frequency Distribution
Guidelines
1. Decide on the number of classes to include. The number of
classes should be between 5 and 20; otherwise, it may be
difficult to detect any patterns.
2. Find the class width as follows. Determine the range of the
data, divide the range by the number of classes, and round up
to the next convenient number.
3. Find the class limits. You can use the minimum entry as the
lower limit of the first class. To find the remaining lower limits,
add the class width to the lower limit of the preceding class.
Then find the upper class limits.
4. Make a tally mark for each data entry in the row of the
appropriate class.
5. Count the tally marks to find the total frequency f for each
class.
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Constructing a Frequency Distribution
Example:
The following data represents the ages of 30 students in a
statistics class. Construct a frequency distribution that
has five classes.
Ages of Students
18 20 21 27 29 20
19 30 32 19 34 19
24 29 18 37 38 22
30 39 32 44 33 46
54 49 18 51 21 21
Continued.
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Raw Data
are collected information/data which
not have been organized numerically.

Array
is an arrangement of raw numerical
data according to magnitude which is
ascending or descending.

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Constructing a Frequency Distribution
Example continued:

1. The number of classes (5) is stated in the problem.

But if there is no number of classes stated on the problem,
you may use the Sturge’s Formula
K = 1 + (3.311) (log n)
where K is the appropriate number of classes intervals
n is the total number of values (Round down)
2. The minimum data entry is 18 and maximum entry is
54, so the range is 36. Divide the range by the number
of classes to find the class width.
36
Class width = = 7.2 Round up to 8.
5
Continued.
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Constructing a Frequency Distribution
Example continued:
3. The minimum data entry of 18 may be used for the
lower limit of the first class. To find the lower class
limits of the remaining class intervals, add the width (8)
to each lower limit.
The lower class limits are 18, 26, 34, 42, and 50.
The upper class limits are 25, 33, 41, 49, and 57.

4. Make a tally mark for each data entry in the

appropriate class.

5. The number of tally marks for a class is the frequency

for that class.
Continued.
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Constructing a Frequency Distribution
Example continued:
Number of
Ages students
Ages of Students
Class Interval Tally f
18 – 25 13
26 – 33 8
34 – 41 4
42 – 49 3
Check that the
50 – 57 2 sum equals
the number in
 f  30
the sample.

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 Class Mark
The class mark/midpoint of a class is the sum of the lower
and upper limits of the class divided by two.

(Lower class limit) + (Upper class limit)

Class Mark =
2

Class Interval f Class Mark

1–4 4 2.5

Class Mark = 1  4  5  2.5

2 2

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 Midpoint
Example:
Find the midpoints for the “Ages of Students” frequency
distribution.
Ages of Students
Class Interval f Class Mark
18 + 25 = 43
18 – 25 13 21.5
43  2 = 21.5
26 – 33 8 29.5
34 – 41 4 37.5
42 – 49 3 45.5
50 – 57 2 53.5
 f  30
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 Relative Frequency

Class frequency
Relative frequency =
Sample size

Class Relative
Interval
f
Frequency
1–4 4 0.222
 f  18
Relative frequency 4  0.222

18
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 Relative Frequency
Example:
Find the relative frequencies for the “Ages of Students”
frequency distribution.

Relative Percentage
Class Interval f Frequency Frequency

18 – 25 13 0.4333 43.33%
26 – 33 8 0.2667 26.67%
34 – 41 4 0.1333 13.33%
42 – 49 3 0.1000 10.00%
50 – 57 2 0.0667 6.67%
Σf = 30 1 100%

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 Cumulative Frequency
The cumulative frequency of a class is the sum of the
frequency for that class and all the previous classes.

Class Interval f <cf >cf

18 – 25 13 13 30

26 – 33 8 21 17

34 – 41 4 25 9

42 – 49 3 28 5

50 – 57 2 30 2

Σf = 30

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 Frequency Histogram
A frequency histogram is a bar graph that represents
the frequency distribution of a data set.
1. The horizontal scale is quantitative and measures
the data values.
2. The vertical scale measures the frequencies of the
classes.
3. Consecutive bars must touch.
Class boundaries are the numbers that separate the
classes without forming gaps between them.
The horizontal scale of a histogram can be marked with
either the class boundaries or the midpoints.
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 Class Boundaries
Example:
Find the class boundaries for the “Ages of Students” frequency
distribution.
Ages of Students
Class
Class Frequency, f Boundaries
The distance from 18 – 25 13 17.5  25.5
the upper limit of
the first class to the 26 – 33 8 25.5  33.5
lower limit of the 34 – 41 4 33.5  41.5
second class is 1.
42 – 49 3 41.5  49.5
Half this 50 – 57 2 49.5  57.5
distance is 0.5.
 f  30

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 Class Class Relative Percentage
f Class Mark <cf >cf
Interval Boundaries Frequency Frequency

18 – 25 17.5 – 25.5 13 21.5 13 30 0.4333 43.33%

26 – 33 25.5 – 33.5 8 29.5 21 17 0.2667 26.67%

34 – 41 34.5 – 41.5 4 37.5 25 9 0.1333 13.33%

42 – 49 41.5 – 49.5 3 45.5 28 5 0.1000 10.00%

50 – 57 49.5 – 57.5 2 53.5 30 2 0.0667 6.67%

Σf = 30 1 100%

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 Frequency Histogram
Example:
Draw a frequency histogram for the “Ages of Students”
frequency distribution. (class boundaries)

14 13 Ages of Students
12
10
8
8

f 6
4
4 3
2 2

0
17.5 25.5 33.5 41.5 49.5 57.5
Broken axis
Age (in years)
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 Frequency Polygon
A frequency polygon is a line graph that emphasizes the
continuous change in frequencies. (class mark)

14
Ages of Students
12
10
8 Line is extended
to the x-axis.
f 6
4
2
0
13.5 21.5 29.5 37.5 45.5 53.5 61.5
Broken axis
Age (in years) Midpoints

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 Relative Frequency Histogram
A relative frequency histogram has the same shape and
the same horizontal scale as the corresponding frequency
histogram. (class boundaries)

0.5
0.433
(portion of students)
Relative frequency

0.4 Ages of Students

0.3
0.267
0.2
0.133
0.1
0.1 0.067
0
17.5 25.5 33.5 41.5 49.5 57.5
Age (in years)
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 Cumulative Frequency Graph
A cumulative frequency graph or ogive, is a line graph
that displays the cumulative frequency of each class at
its upper class boundary.

30 Ages of Students
Cumulative frequency
(portion of students)

24

18
The graph ends
at the upper
12 boundary of the
last class.
6

0
17.5 25.5 33.5 41.5 49.5 57.5
Age (in years)
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