Ch 2: Describing Data

Frequency Distributions and Graphic Representation

Define Frequency Distribution:
A grouping of data into mutually exclusive classes showing the number of observations in
each class is called frequency distribution.
Define raw data (or) ungrouped data.
The unorganized information are called raw data. These are obtained as a result of
experiment in the original form.
e.g. Temperature in a week: 42, 50, 54, 45, 47, 51, and 48
Define grouped data.
When ungrouped data are organized and put into groups of classes are called grouped data.
e.g.
Class No of
temp
40 – 1
44
45 – 3 Constructing a frequency distribution:
To 49 construct a frequency distribution we have to follow the
50 – 3 following 5 steps:
54
1. Decide on the number of classes
2. Determine the class interval or width
3. Set the individual class limits
4. Tally the observations into classes
5. Count the number of items in each class.
Rules for the above steps:
Step 1: 2k > Number of observations (n)
Step 2: i ≥ (H – L)/k
Step 3: Set to cover only (H – L)
Relative Frequency:
Converting the class frequencies into the total number of observations in each class is
called relative class frequency.
R.C.F = Class Frequency / Total
Example: 1) The Quick Change Oil Company has a number of outlets in the metropolitan
Seattle area. The numbers of oil changes at the Oak street outlet in the past 20
days are:
6 9 5 6 7 5 5 9 7 5
5 8 5 2 9 9 1 0 2 6
The 7 6 6 8 9 7 6 7 7 8 data are to be organized into
a frequency 0 2 6 0 4 9 3 3 1 5 distribution.
(a) How many classes would you recommend?
(b) What class interval would you suggest?
(c) What lower limit would you recommend for the first class interval?
(d) Organize the number of oil changes into a frequency distribution.
(e) Find the relative frequency distribution and comment on the shape.
Answer: Step 1: Decide on the number of classes:
Here no of Observation (n) = 20 24 =
Applying the rule 2k > n, k = 5 16
Step 2: Determine the class interval or width 25 =
i ≥ (H – L)/ k
H = highest value = 98
L = lowest value = 51
i ≥ (98 – 51) / 5 = 9.4 = 10 (approx)
Step 3: Set individual class limits:
As smallest number is 51 and the biggest number is 98, the individual class intervals
are:
50 up to 60, 60 up to 70, 70 up to 80, 80 up to 90, 90 up to 100
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 Ch 2: Describing Data
Frequency Distributions and Graphic Representation
Step 4: Tally the observations into classes:
Class Interval Tally Marks
50 up to 60 ////
60 up to 70 ////
70 up to 80 //// /
80 up to 90 //
90 up to 100 ///
Step 5: Count the number of items in each class and write as frequency:
Class Interval Frequency Relative Found By
Frequency
50 up to 60 4 0.2 4/20
60 up to 70 5 0.25 5/20
70 up to 80 6 0.3 6/20
80 up to 90 2 0.1 2/20
90 up to 100 3 0.15 3/20
Total 20 1.00

Comment: The maximum number of oil changes lies between 70 up to 80

(2) Wachesaw Manufacturing inc., produced the following number of units the
last 16 days.
27 27 27 28 27 25 25 28
26 28 26 28 31 30 26 26
The data are to be organized into a frequency distribution.
(a) How many classes would you recommend?
(b) What class interval would you suggest?
(c) What lower limit would you recommend for the first class interval?
(d) Organize the number of oil changes into a frequency distribution.
(e) Find the relative frequency distribution and comment on the shape.
Answer:
Step 1: Decide on the number of classes:
Here no of Observation (n) = 16 24 =
k
Applying the rule 2 > n, k = 5 16
Step 2: Determine the class interval or width 25 =
i ≥ (H – L)/ k
H = highest value = 31
L = lowest value = 25
i ≥ (31 – 25) / 5 = 1.2 = 1.5 (approx)
Step 3: Set individual class limits:
As smallest number is 25 and the biggest number is 31, the individual class intervals
are:
24 up to 25.5, 25.5 up to 27, 27 up to 28.5, 28.5 up to 30, 30 up to 31.5
Step 4: Tally the observations into classes:
Class Interval Tally Marks
24 up to 25.5 //
25.5 up to 27 ////
27 up to 28.5 //// ///
28.5 up to 30
30 up to 31.5 //
Step 5: Count the number of items in each class and write as frequency:

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 Ch 2: Describing Data
Frequency Distributions and Graphic Representation

Class Interval Frequency Relative Found By

Frequency
24 up to 25.5 2 0.125 2/16
25.5 up to 27 4 0.250 4/16
27 up to 28.5 8 0.500 8/16
28.5 up to 30 0 0.000 0/16
30 up to 31.5 2 0.125 2/16
Total 16 1.00

Comment: The largest concentration is in the class 27 up to 28.5

Homework:
1) The food services division of Cedar River Amusement Park, Inc. is studying the amount
families who visit the amusement park spend per day on food and drink. A sample of 40
families who visited the park yesterday revealed they spent the following amounts.

7 1 6 8 3 5 5 5 5 5
7 8 3 4 8 4 0 9 4 6
3 2 5 3 4 4 5 5 5 5
6 6 0 4 4 1 8 8 3 1
6 4 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 5
2 3 2 3 3 2 2 5 1 2
6 6 4 6 8 7 6 5 6 7
0 0 5 6 3 1 3 8 1 1

(a) Organize the data into a frequency distribution.

(b) What class interval did you select?
(c) How many class intervals would you suggest?
(d) What higher limit would you suggest for the last class interval?
2) The following is the number of minutes to commute from home to work for a group of
automobile executives.
2 2 4 3 4 1 3 2 1 2 2 2 3
8 5 8 7 1 9 2 6 6 3 3 9 6
3 2 2 3 2 3 4 3 4 3 3 2
1 6 1 2 5 1 3 5 2 8 3 8
a. How many classes would you recommend?
b. What class interval would you suggest?
c. What would you recommend as the lower limit of the first class?
d. Organize the data into a frequency distribution.
e. Comment on the shape of the frequency distribution.
3) Following marks are obtained by 30 students in statistics. Construct a frequency
distribution:
8 1 3 3 2 2 3 1 4 4
0 5 9 2 8 3 8 2
3 3 2 1 9 3 3 1 7 4
2 8 7 4 9 3
2 4 4 2 2 3 3 4 1 6
6 3 0 3 5 0 2 9 8
(a) How many classes would you recommend?
(b) What class interval would you suggest?
(c) What lower limit would you recommend for the first class interval?
(d) Organize the data into a frequency distribution.
(e) Find the relative frequency distribution and comment on the shape.
Graphical Presentation
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 Ch 2: Describing Data
Frequency Distributions and Graphic Representation
Histogram:
A graph in which the classes are marked on the horizontal axis and the class frequencies in
vertical axis. The class frequencies are represented by the heights of the bar and the bars
are drawn adjacent to other.
Example 1: Below is the frequency distribution. Construct a histogram. What conclusions can
you reach based on the information presented in the histogram?

Selling Prices Frequenc

(in y
Thousand)
12 upto 15 8
15 upto 18 23
18 upto 21 17
21 upto 24 18
24 upto 27 8
27 upto 30 4
30 upto 33 2
Total 80

2 23
5
2 18
0 17
1
5
1 8 8
0
5 4
2
0

12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33
Frequency Polygon:
A frequency polygon is consists of line segments connecting the points formed by the
intersections of the class mid points and class frequencies.
Mid point = (L + H)/2
The frequency Polygon for the above problem is:

Selling Mid Points Frequenc

Prices y
($
Thousand)
12 upto 15 13.5 8
15 upto 18 16.5 23
18 upto 21 19.5 17
21 upto 24 22.5 18
24 upto 27 25.5 8
27 upto 30 28.5 4
30 upto 33 31.5 2

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 Ch 2: Describing Data
Frequency Distributions and Graphic Representation
Total 80
2
5
2
3

2
0
1
1 8
7
1
5

1
0
8 8

5
4

0
13. 16. 19. 22. 25. 28. 31.
5 5 5 5 5 5 5

Try Yourself:

1) The annual imports of a selected group of electronic suppliers are shown in the
following frequency distribution.
Imports Number
($ of
millions) suppliers
2 up to 5 6
5 up to 8 13
8 up to 11 20
11 up to 14 10
14 up to 17 1
a) Portray the imports as a histogram.
b) Portray the imports as a relative frequency polygon.
c) Summarize the important facts of the distribution (such as classes with the
highest and lowest frequencies).
(2) The following frequency distribution reports the number of
frequent flier miles, reported in thousands, for employees of Brumley
stastical consulting, Inc. during the first quarter of 2004.
Frequent Flier Miles Number of
(000) Employees
0 up to 3 5
3 up to 6 12
6 up to 9 23
9 up to 12 8
12 up to 15 2
____
Total 50

a)
How many employees were studied?
b)
What is the midpoint of the first class?
c)
Construct a histogram.
d)
A frequency polygon is to be drawn. What are the coordinates of the plot for
the first class?
e) Construct a frequency polygon.
f) Interpret the frequent flier miles using the two charts.
Cumulative Frequency Distribution:
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 Ch 2: Describing Data
Frequency Distributions and Graphic Representation
Cumulative Frequency (C.F): The C.F corresponding to a class is the sum of frequencies of
that class and of the class prior to it.
Cumulative Frequency Curve: A graph drawn by joining the C.F.
Example: The frequency distribution of the lead time to fill an order is given below:
Lead Time Frequenc
(Days) y
0 upto 5 6
5 upto 10 7
10 upto 15 12
15 upto 20 8
20 upto 25 7
Total 40
(a) How many orders were filled in less than 10 days? In less than 15 days?
(b) Convert the frequency distribution to a cumulative frequency distribution.
(c) Develop a cumulative frequency polygon
(d) About 60% orders were filled in less than how many days?

Answer:
Lead Time Frequenc C.F
(Days) y
0 upto 5 6 6
5 upto 10 7 13
10 upto 15 12 25
15 upto 20 8 33
20 upto 25 7 40
Total 40
45
40 40
35
33
30
25 25
20
15
13
10
5 6

0
5 10 15 20 25

Try Yourself:
1) The frequency distribution of the vehicle selling prices at Whitner Autoplex is repeated.

Selling Frequenc
Price y
($
thousands)
15 up to 18 8
18 up to 21 23
21 up to 24 17
24 up to 27 18
27 up to 30 8
30 up to 33 4
33 up to 36 2
____

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 Ch 2: Describing Data
Frequency Distributions and Graphic Representation
Total 80
Construct a cumulative frequency polygon. Fifty percent of the vehicles were sold for less
than what amount? Twenty-five of the vehicles were sold for less than what amount?
2) The frequency distribution representing the number of frequent flier miles accumulated by
employees at Brumley Statistical Consulting Company is given below
Frequent Flier Frequenc
Miles y
(000)
0 up to 3 5
3 up to 6 12
6 up to 9 23
9 up to 12 8
12 up to 15 2
Total 50

a. How many employees accumulated less than 3000 miles?

b. Convert the frequency distribution to a cumulative frequency distribution.
c. Portray the cumulative distribution in the form of a cumulative frequency polygon.
d. Based on the cumulative frequency polygon, about 75 percent of the employees
accumulated how many miles or less?

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