Frequency table

Definition

A frequency table is a tabular representation of data that shows the number of occurrences of each unique value in a dataset. It helps in identifying patterns and understanding the distribution of the data.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Frequency tables are essential for summarizing categorical and numerical data.
2. They include columns for the values, frequencies, and sometimes relative frequencies or cumulative frequencies.
3. Relative frequency is calculated by dividing the frequency of a value by the total number of observations.
4. Cumulative frequency is the sum of all frequencies up to and including a particular value.
5. Frequency tables are often used as preliminary steps before creating histograms or bar charts.

Review Questions

• What information does a frequency table provide about a dataset?
• How do you calculate relative frequency from a frequency table?
• Why might someone use a cumulative frequency column in their table?

Related terms

Histogram: A graphical representation of data using bars to show the frequency of numerical intervals.

Relative Frequency: The ratio of the frequency of a particular value to the total number of observations.

Cumulative Frequency: The running total of frequencies through the classes in an ascending order.