CHAPTER 2: DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICAL TOOLS – FREQUENCY
DISTRUBUTION
DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICAL TOOLS
➢ Descriptive statistical tools are used to summarize and describe the characteristics of datasets. These tools
provide a way to quickly understand large amounts of data and communicate findings effectively.
a) Frequency Distribution
b) Measures of Central Tendency
c) Measure of Position
d) Measures of Variability or Scatter Significance/Measures of Dispersion
FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION
FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION
➢ Frequency distribution is a fundamental statistical tool used to organize and summarize data, showing the
number of occurrences (frequency) of each distinct value or range of values within a dataset. It allows for a
clearer understanding of the distribution and structure of the data, making it easier to identify patterns,
trends, and potential outliers.
TYPES OF FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION
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A. SIMPLE FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION
➢ Lists each unique value in the dataset alongside the number of times it occurs.
Example: Suppose a teacher records the number of homework assignments completed by 10 students.
Homework Completed Frequency
3 2
4 3
5 5
B. GROUPED FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION
➢ Groups data into intervals or classes and shows the frequency of data points within each interval.
Example: Consider the ages of participants in a community event:
Age Range Frequency
10 – 19 8
20 – 29 12
30 - 39 7
40 - 49 3
STEPS TO CREATE A GROUPED FREQUENCY
[Link] THE DATA
➢ Start with a dataset that you want to summarize.
Example: List of exam scores for 20 students
45, 56, 59, 62, 65, 67, 69, 70, 71, 73, 75, 77, 78, 81, 83, 84, 88, 89, 90, 92
2. DETERMINE THE RANGE
➢ Calculate the range of the data, which is the difference between the maximum and minimum values. This tells
you the spread of your data.
Range = Maximum value – Minimum value
Example: Range = 92 - 45 = 47
3. DECIDE THE NUMBER OF CLASSES
➢ Determine how many intervals (classes) you want to create. There's no single, mandatory rule for choosing
the number of classes in a grouped frequency table. The goal is to create a table that is easy to read and
effectively summarizes the data's pattern. A common rule of thumb is to use the square root of the number of
data points (n). This also refers to the number of rows.
Number of classes = √n
Example: Number of classes = 5
4. CALCULATE THE CLASS WIDTH
➢ The class width is the interval size for each group and is calculated by dividing the range by the number of
classes.
Class width = Range/Number of classes
Example: Class width = 47/5 = 9.4 or 10
5. DETERMINE THE CLASS LIMITS
➢ Start with the minimum value and create interval based on the class width.
6. TALLY THE FREQUENCIES
➢ Count the number of data points that fall within each class interval.
7. CREATE THE FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION TABLE
• Data: List of exam scores for 20 students
• 45, 56, 59, 62, 65, 67, 69, 70, 71, 73, 75, 77, 78, 81, 83, 84, 88, 89, 90, 92
• Range = 47
• Number of classes = 5
• Class width = 9.4 or 10
• Frequency Distribution Table
Score Range Frequency
45 – 54 1
55 - 64 3
65 – 74 6
75 - 84 6
85 - 94 4
20
C. CUMULATIVE FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION
➢ Shows the cumulative total of frequencies up to a certain value or class interval, helping to understand how
frequencies accumulate.
Example: Consider the ages of participants in a community event:
Age Range Frequency Cumulative Frequency
10 – 19 8 8
20 – 29 12 20
30 - 39 7 27
40 - 49 3 30
QUIZ 1: GROUPED FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION
A survey was conducted to measure the time (in minutes) students spend on homework each day. The data
collected from 50 students is presented below:
Raw Data: 8, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 22, 25, 28, 30, 32, 35, 36, 39, 40, 42, 44, 45, 48, 49, 50, 53, 54, 56,
58, 60, 62, 65, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 79, 80, 82, 85, 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, 98, 100, 102, 104,
106, 108, 110
Task: Construct a Grouped Frequency Distribution table using 7 classes. Follow these steps:
1. Determine the class width.
2. Create class intervals.
3. Tally the frequency for each class.
4. Complete the frequency distribution table.