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Histograms and Frequency Polygons: A Histogram - Is Similar To A Bar Chart Except That A Histogram

This document discusses histograms and frequency polygons. It provides the following key points: 1) A histogram displays frequency distributions with bars of different widths, while a frequency polygon joins the midpoints of histogram bars to form a geometric shape. 2) The height of a histogram bar represents frequency density, which is calculated by dividing the frequency by the class width. 3) An example shows speed data from 125 cars displayed on a histogram using class widths and frequencies, and as a frequency polygon connecting the histogram bar midpoints.

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Tan Chin Huat
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53 views3 pages

Histograms and Frequency Polygons: A Histogram - Is Similar To A Bar Chart Except That A Histogram

This document discusses histograms and frequency polygons. It provides the following key points: 1) A histogram displays frequency distributions with bars of different widths, while a frequency polygon joins the midpoints of histogram bars to form a geometric shape. 2) The height of a histogram bar represents frequency density, which is calculated by dividing the frequency by the class width. 3) An example shows speed data from 125 cars displayed on a histogram using class widths and frequencies, and as a frequency polygon connecting the histogram bar midpoints.

Uploaded by

Tan Chin Huat
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Histograms and Frequency Polygons

A histogram is similar to a bar chart except that a histogram can have different bar widths. The area of the bar represents the frequency not the height.

A Frequency Polygon is drawn from a histogram (or bar chart) by joining the midpoints of the tops of the bars with straight lines to form a polygon. Frequency Density The height of the bar in a histogram is called the frequency density. To calculate frequency density you use the following formula: Frequency density = (height) Frequency Class width

Example:
The table shows the speed of 125 cars along the main road. Speed (v mph) 40 v 60 60 v 70 70 v 80 80 v 100 Frequency 60 45 10 10 Show the information on: a) a histogram b) a frequency polygon

a) Add additional columns for class width and height (frequency density). Speed (v mph) 40 60 70 80 v v v v 60 70 80 100 Frequency Class width 60 45 10 10 20 10 10 20 Height = frequency Class width Height = 6020 = 3 Height = 4510 = 4.5 Height = 1010 = 1 Height = 1020 = 0.5

In a histogram, the area of the bar represents the frequency The class width is determined from the class boundaries (100 - 80 = 20) Frequency = class width x height of bar or Height = frequency Class width

Width = 10 Height = 4.5 Frequency = class width x height = 10 x 4.5 = 45

4.5

10

b) A frequency polygon can be drawn from a histogram (or bar chart) by joining the midpoints of the tops of the bars with straight lines to form a polygon. The area of the polygon is equal to the total frequency.

It is usual to extend the lines to the horizontal axis as shown.

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