Frequency Distributions & Graphs

Part-2
Dr. Nadeem Shaukat
Associate Professor, CMS, PIEAS
 For Continuous Data
The three most commonly used graphs in research
are as follows:

1. The histogram
2. The frequency polygon
3. The cumulative frequency graph, or Ogive

Date: 06-02-23.
 Introduction

 Organization and Presentation of Data

 Histograms, Frequency Polygons, and

Ogives

 Other Types of Graphs

Date: 06-02-23.
 Histogram

The histogram is a graph that displays the data by

using continuous vertical bars (unless the frequency
of a class is 0) of various heights to represent the
frequencies of the classes.

The class boundaries are represented on the

horizontal axis
( On x-axis ,put class boundaries .On y-axis ,put
frequency ).

Date: 06-02-23.
Example 2-4:
Construct a histogram to represent the data for the
record high temperatures for each of the 50 states

Class Limits Class Boundaries Frequency

100 - 104 99.5 - 104.5 2
105 - 109 104.5 - 109.5 8
110 - 114 109.5 - 114.5 18
115 - 119 114.5 - 119.5 13
120 - 124 119.5 - 124.5 7
125 - 129 124.5 - 129.5 1
130 - 134 129.5 - 134.5 1

Date: 06-02-23.
 Histograms use class boundaries and frequencies
of the classes.

Date: 06-02-23.
 Frequency polygons

The frequency polygon is a graph that displays the data

by using lines that connect points plotted for the frequencies
at the midpoints of the classes. The frequencies are
represented by the heights of the points.

 The class midpoints are represented on the

horizontal axis.
( On x-axis ,put class midpoints .On y-axis, put
frequency ).

Date: 06-02-23.
 Example 2-5:
Construct a frequency polygon to represent the
data for the record high temperatures for each of
the 50 states.
Class
Class Limits Frequency
Midpoints
100 - 104 102 2
105 - 109 107 8
110 - 114 112 18
115 - 119 117 13
120 - 124 122 7
125 - 129 127 1
130 - 134 132 1

Date: 06-02-23.
 Frequency polygons use class midpoints and frequencies
of the classes.

A frequency polygon
is anchored on the
x-axis before the first
class and after the
last class.

Date: 06-02-23.
Example 2-7:
Construct a histogram, frequency polygon, and ogive using
relative frequencies for the distribution (shown here) of the
miles that 20 randomly selected runners ran during a given
week.
Class
Frequency
Boundaries
5.5 - 10.5 1
10.5 - 15.5 2
15.5 - 20.5 3
20.5 - 25.5 5
25.5 - 30.5 4
30.5 - 35.5 3
35.5 - 40.5 2

Date: 06-02-23.
 Histograms
The following is a frequency distribution of miles
run per week by 20 selected runners.

Class Frequency Relative

Boundaries (f) Frequency
5.5 - 10.5 1 1/20 = 0.05
10.5 - 15.5 2 2/20 = 0.10
15.5 - 20.5 3 3/20 = 0.15
20.5 - 25.5 5 5/20 = 0.25 The sum of
25.5 - 30.5 4 4/20 = 0.20
30.5 - 35.5 3 the relative
3/20 = 0.15 frequencies
35.5 - 40.5 2
2/20 = 0.10 will always
f = 20 rf = 1.00 be 1

Date: 06-02-23.
Use the class boundaries and the relative
frequencies of the classes.

Date: 06-02-23.
 Frequency Polygons
The following is a frequency distribution of miles
run per week by 20 selected runners.

Class Class Relative

Boundaries Midpoints Frequency
5.5 - 10.5 8 0.05
10.5 - 15.5 13 0.10
15.5 - 20.5 18 0.15
20.5 - 25.5 23 0.25
25.5 - 30.5 28 0.20
30.5 - 35.5 33 0.15
35.5 - 40.5 38 0.10

Date: 06-02-23.
Use the class midpoints and the relative
frequencies of the classes.

Date: 06-02-23.
 Ogive Definition

• The Ogive is defined as the frequency distribution

graph of a series.
• The Ogive is a graph of a cumulative distribution,
which explains data values on the horizontal plane axis
and either the cumulative relative frequencies, the
cumulative frequencies or cumulative per cent
frequencies on the vertical axis.

Date: 06-02-23.
 Ogive Graph

The graphs of the frequency distribution are frequency graphs that

are used to exhibit the characteristics of discrete and continuous
data. 
The two methods of Ogives are:
• Less than Ogive
• Greater than or more than Ogive
Less than Ogive

More than Ogive

Date: 06-02-23.
 Less than Ogive

• The frequencies of all preceding classes are added to

the frequency of a class.
• This series is called the less than cumulative series. It
is constructed by adding the first-class frequency to
the second-class frequency and then to the third class
frequency and so on.
• The downward cumulation results in the less than
cumulative series.

Date: 06-02-23.
 Greater than Ogive

• The frequencies of the succeeding classes are added to

the frequency of a class.
• This series is called the more than or greater than
cumulative series.
• It is constructed by subtracting the first frequency
from the total as a second class, third class frequency
from that and so on.
• The upward cumulation result is greater than or more
than the cumulative series.

Date: 06-02-23.
 How to Draw Less Than Ogive Curve?

• Draw and mark the horizontal and vertical axes.

• Take the cumulative frequencies along the y-axis
(vertical axis) and the upper-class limits on the x-axis
(horizontal axis).
• Against each upper-class limit, plot the cumulative
frequencies.
• Connect the points with a continuous curve.

Date: 06-02-23.
 How to Draw Greater Than Ogive Curve?

• Draw and mark the horizontal and vertical axes.

• Take the cumulative frequencies along the y-axis
(vertical axis) and the lower-class limits on the x-axis
(horizontal axis).
• Against each lower-class limit, plot the cumulative
frequencies.
• Connect the points with a continuous curve.

Date: 06-02-23.
 Uses of Ogive Curve

• Ogive Graph or the cumulative frequency graphs are

used to find the median of the given set of data.
• If both, less than and greater than, cumulative
frequency curve is drawn on the same graph, we can
easily find the median value.
• The point in which, both the curve intersects,
corresponding to the x-axis, gives the median value. 
• Apart from finding the medians, Ogives are used in
computing the percentiles of the data set values.

Date: 06-02-23.
 Less Than Ogives Example
The following is a frequency distribution of miles run
per week by 20 selected runners. 𝐶𝑢𝑚.𝑟𝑒𝑙. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦= 𝑐𝑢𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦
∑𝑓
Class Cumulative Cum. Rel.
Frequency
Boundaries Frequency Frequency
5.5 - 10.5 1 0 0 0
10.5 - 15.5 2 1 1/20 = 0.05
15.5 - 20.5 3 3 3/20 = 0.15
20.5 - 25.5 5 6 6/20 = 0.30
25.5 - 30.5 4 11
11/20 = 0.55
30.5 - 35.5 3 15
35.5 - 40.5 2 18 15/20 = 0.75
20 18/20 = 0.90
f = 20 20/20 = 1.00

Date: 06-02-23.
 Less Than Ogives use upper class boundaries and
cumulative frequencies of the classes.

Cum. Rel.
Class Boundaries
Frequency
Less than 5.5 0
Less than 10.5 0.05
Less than 15.5 0.15
Less than 20.5 0.30
Less than 25.5 0.55
Less than 30.5 0.75
Less than 35.5 0.90
Less than 40.5 1.00

Date: 06-02-23.
 Use the upper class boundaries and the
cumulative relative frequencies.

Date: 06-02-23.
 Greater Than Ogive Example
Construct more than ogive (a cumulative frequency graph.) for
the following table.

Date: 06-02-23.
 Greater Than Ogive Example

Cumulative Cum. Rel.

Class Marks Frequency Frequency Frequency
(more than) (More than)
10 – 15 2 30 30/30=1
15 – 20 2 28 28/30=0.93
20 – 25 4 26 26/30=0.86
25 – 30 3 22 22/30=0.73
30 – 35 6 19 19/30=0.63
35 – 40 6 13 13/30=0.43
40 – 45 4 7 7/30=0.23
45 – 50 3 3 3/30=0.1

f = 30
Date: 06-02-23.
 Greater Than Ogives use lower class boundaries
and cumulative frequencies of the classes.

Cum.
Class Boundaries
Frequency
Greater than 10 30
Greater than 15 28
Greater than 20 26
Greater than 25 22
Greater than 30 19
Greater than 35 13
Greater than 40 7
Greater than 45 3

Date: 06-02-23.
 Greater Than Ogive Example

Date: 06-02-23.
 Shapes of Distributions
Flat

J shaped:few data values on left side and increases as one moves to right
Reverse J shaped: opposite of the j-shaped distribution

Date: 06-02-23.
 Positively skewed Negatively skewed

Date: 06-02-23.