Frequency Distribution

Frequency Distribution
- is a table in which possible values for a
variable are grouped into classes, and the
number of observed values which fall into each
class is recorded. It is one method for arranging
the data in a more convenient form and it can be
either simple or grouped. For ungrouped data,
every observed value of the random variable is
used.
 To understand the procedures for arranging data in a
grouped frequency distribution, the following examples
will be used.
Mrs. Ventura administered an examination in statistics
and the following scores were obtained.

88 82 76 81 57 81 86 61 88 79
73 93 49 79 73 80 85 51 74 62
67 62 76 73 68 71 73 71 78 73
54 78 69 54 71 76 81 67 84 65
84 68 57 68 70 62 70 90 71 80
For the construction of a frequency table, the following
steps should be followed:
Step 1. Determine the range. Range = Highest Score Lowest
Score.
R = 93 49 = 44
Step 2. Determine the number of class intervals. The number
of intervals is dependent on the number of scores, the range
of the scores and the purpose of organizing the frequency
table. The number of class intervals is usually taken between
5 and 20, depending on the data. Class intervals are chosen
so that the class marks or midpoints coincide with actually
observed data.

When the number of class intervals has been

decided, the size of the class interval (c) can

be found by dividing the range of the scores
by the number of intervals wanted.
c = = 2.93 0r 3
Step 3. Determine the limits of the bottom class
interval. Begin the bottom interval with the lowest
score or make the lowest score the midpoint of the
interval. The bottom interval can be 48 50 or 49
51. In the class interval 48 50, 48 and 50 are
called class limits; the smaller number 48 is the
lower class limit and the larger number 50 is the
upper class limit. A class interval which has no
upper class limit or no lower class limit indicated is
called an open class interval. Ex. 65 years and
above, 15 items and below.
 Class boundaries are obtained by adding the
upper limit of one class interval to the lower
limit of the next higher class interval and
dividing by 2. In the class interval 48 50, the
next class interval is 51 53 and its class
boundaries are 50.5 and 53.5; the smaller
number 50.5 is the lower class boundary and
the larger number 53.5 is the upper class
boundary.

The difference between the upper class

boundary and the lower class boundary is

called the class width or class size; 53.5
50.5 = 3. the class mark or class midpoint of
the class interval is obtained by finding the
average of the upper class limit and lower
class limit;
= 52
Step 4. Construct the table. The remaining class
intervals are formed by increasing each interval by
the size of c until an interval is reached that
includes the highest score.
Step 5. Tally the scores. The scores are counted
one at a time and a tally mark is placed to the right
of the appropriate interval.
Step 6. Record the tallies under the column headed
f (frequency). Sum the frequencies (f).
 Frequency Distribution of Test Scores in
Statistics
Class Intervals Tally Frequency (f) Class Boundary Class Mark

93 - 95 I 1 92.5 95.5 94
90 - 92 I 1 89.5 92.5 91
87 - 89 II 2 86.5 89.5 88
84 - 86 IIII 4 83.5 86. 5 85
81 - 83 IIII 4 80.5 83.5 82
78 - 80 IIIII - I 6 77.5 80.5 79
75 - 77 III 3 74.5 77.5 76
72 - 74 IIIII - I 6 71.5 74.5 73
69 - 71 IIIII - II 7 68.5 71.5 70
66 - 68 IIIII 5 65.5 68.5 67
63 - 65 I 1 62.5 65.5 64
60 - 62 IIII 4 59.5 62.5 61
57 - 59 II 2 56.5 59.5 58
54 - 56 II 2 53.5 56.5 55
51 - 53 I 1 50.5 53.5 52
48 - 50 I 1 47.5 50.5 49
n = 50
RELATIVE/COMULATIVE FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTIONS
the relative frequency of the class is the
frequency of the class divided by the total
frequency of all classes and is generally
expressed as a percentage.
For example, the relative frequency of the
class 69 71 in Table 1 is = 14%. The sum of the
relative frequencies of all classes is clearly 1 or
100%
 Replacing the frequencies in Table 1 with the
corresponding relative frequencies, the resulting table
is called relative frequency table, relative frequency
distribution r percentage distribution.
A cumulative frequency distribution identifies the
cumulative number of observations included below the
upper boundary of each class can be determined by
adding the observed frequency for that class to the
cumulative frequency for that class to the cumulative
frequency for the preceding class. The graph of a
cumulative frequency distribution is called ogive.
COMULATIVE/RELATIVE FREQUENCY TABLE OF TEST SCORES IN STATISTICS
Class Interval Frequency (f) Cumulative Relative Frequency
Frequency (cf)
93 - 95 1 50 0.02
90 - 92 1 49 0.02
87 - 89 2 48 0.04
84 - 86 4 46 0.08
81 - 83 4 42 0.08
78 - 80 6 38 0.12
75 - 77 3 32 0.06
72 - 74 6 29 0.12
69 - 71 7 23 0.14
66 - 68 5 16 0.16
63 - 65 1 11 0.02
60 - 62 4 10 0.08
57 - 59 2 6 0.04
54 - 56 2 4 0.04
51 - 53 1 2 0.02
48 - 50 1 1 0.02
N = 50
Seat Work
Prepare a frequency distribution on the
scores of 40 students in a Math quiz. Shown
below are their scores.
86 83 81 81 86 91 79 82
81 80 96 87 82 89 82 89
94 91 90 82 85 88 71 99
76 87 78 80 83 73 98 72
72 83 74 85 90 71 75 87