Chapter 2 Formulas
Class Width
The class width is the difference between two consecutive classes' lower boundaries (or lower
limits) in a grouped frequency distribution. It indicates how wide each class interval is. Round
up the result to the next whole number or the next odd whole number to ensure all data values
are included. The class width helps ensure that the classes are evenly spaced in the frequency
table.
Highest Value − Lowest Value
Class Width =
Number of classes
Degrees of Sections of a Circle
The degrees formula represents how much of the full circle (360°) is allocated to each category
based on its proportion of the total data. It is commonly used to compute the degrees of each
section in a pie graph. This allows the pie chart to visually show how large each part is
compared to the whole. A larger slice (more degrees) means a larger share of the total.
f f
Degrees = • 360 OR Percent = • 100%
n n
Midpoints of a Class in a Frequency Distribution
In a frequency distribution, the midpoint of a class represents the central value of that class
interval. It is used to summarize data in a way that reflects the center of each class. This value is
used in graphing frequency polygons and calculating estimates like the mean of grouped data.
Lower Class Limit + Upper Class Limit
xm =
2
Percentage of Frequency
In categorical frequency distributions and pie graphs, percents represent the proportion of each
category relative to the total number of observations expressed as a percentage. This helps to
easily compare the size of each category and is especially useful in pie charts where each slice
reflects a category's percentage of the whole.
f
Percent = • 100%
n
Range
In a grouped frequency distribution, the range is the difference between the highest and lowest
data values. It gives a basic measure of how spread out the data is. The range helps to determine
the overall span of the data set and is often used when deciding on class limits or class width.
Range = Maximum Value − Minimum Value
Relative Frequency
In grouped frequency distribution, relative frequency is the proportion of data values that fall
within a specific class interval compared to the total number of data values. It helps describe
how the data is distributed across different class intervals and allows for comparison between
classes, especially when the total number of observations is large. This value can also be
expressed as a decimal or a percentage and is often used to construct relative frequency
histograms.
f
Relative Frequency =
n
Relative Cumulative Frequency
Relative cumulative frequency is the running total of relative frequencies up to and including a
specific class in a grouped frequency distribution. It shows the proportion of data values that
fall at or below a particular class boundary. This helps in understanding how data accumulates
across intervals and is useful for constructing ogives and analyzing percentiles.
Cumulative Frequency
Relative Cumulative Frequency =
Total