MAT 130: Creating Histograms in MS Excel

Histogram The frequency distribution or the histogram is used to describe the shape of the distribution of data. Histogram is simply the graphical representation of the frequency distribution. To create the histogram, we need to create bins (classes) into which the data will be classified. For the population data in this example, we will create the following bins: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. The data between 0 and 2 (inclusive) will be placed in the first bin, data between 3 and 4 (inclusive) will be placed in the second bin, and so on. Histogram will count the number of data that were placed in each of the bins (called frequency). A histogram is constructed by using the histogram tool in Excel. The steps are given below. MS Excel 2003 1. Go to the Tools menu and click on the data analysis option and select the histogram tool. Note: If you do not see the data analysis option, click on add-ins and select Analysis ToolPak. The data analysis option should now be in the Tools menu. 2. In the histogram window, enter the location of data in the Input range. 3. Enter the location of bins in the bin range. 4. Enter the cell location for the output range. The output will be placed below and to the right of the selected cell. 5. Click the box for chart output and click OK. Installing Analysis Tool Pack MS Excel 2007 From MS Excel 2007, click on the Microsoft logo in the top left hand corner, select Excel options, select Add-Inns, click Go, Check box for Analysis Tool Pak, and click OK. MS Excel 2010 From MS Excel 2010, select File, Select Options, select Add-Inns, click Go, Check box for Analysis Tool Pak, and click OK. MS Excel 2007 or MS Excel 2010 1. From the Data menu, select the data analysis icon. 2. In the histogram window, enter the location of data in the Input range. 3. Enter the location of bins in the bin range. (Bins are the upper limits of the classes.)

MAT 130: Module 2

4. If you included the labels in the input range and the bin range, check the box for the labels. Otherwise, leave the labels box unchecked. 5. Check the box for output range and enter the cell location for the output range. The output will be placed below and to the right of the selected cell. 6. Click the box for chart output and click OK. You would see the following output. The table on the left is the frequency distribution and the chart is the histogram. As you can see from the histogram, the population data are uniformly distributed (same frequency in each interval).

Bin 2 4 6 8 10

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Frequency 1 1 1 1 1 0

MAT 130: Module 2