Frequency Distribution Table
2026-02-28 11:42 Diff

To visually represent a frequency distribution table, we use a frequency distribution graph. Graphical elements, such as bars, lines, and curves, are used to express how frequently various values occur. These graphs help us to simplify complex data, figure out new trends, and make informed decisions. The various methods for representing the frequency distribution are:

Histogram 

A histogram is used for representing numerical data, and it is similar to a bar graph. The y-axis of the histogram indicates frequencies, and the x-axis represents interval classes. Remember, there is no gap between the bars of a histogram. For example, here is a frequency table explaining the number of survey respondents in each age group.

Age (years) Frequency 10 - 20 10 20 - 30  15 30 - 40 5 40 - 50 5 50 - 60 3

The histogram showing the ages of survey respondents is:

NA

Bar Graph

Bar graphs use rectangular bars to represent the data on the x-axis and y-axis. The height and length of the bars show the frequency of categories or values. The bar graph is commonly used to express the frequency of ungrouped data in a flexible sequence. Remember to always leave gaps between the bars to separate the categories clearly. For example, the distribution table representing a dataset of kids and their favorite ice cream flavors will look like this:

Ice cream flavor Number of kids (frequency) Vanilla 6 Chocolate  7 Strawberry 3 Mango 4 Butterscotch   8

The following is a bar graph representing the frequency of kids and their favorite ice cream flavors.

NA

Frequency Polygon 

In a frequency polygon, the data is visually represented by plotting dots at the midpoints of each class interval and joining them with straight lines to form a polygon. For example, here is a dataset that shows the number of young people enjoying different genres of movies.

Movies Number of Young People (frequency) Action 72 Science fiction 55 Comedy  40 Horror  42 Romance  38

Here is the frequency polygon, representing the frequency of youth and their favorite movie genres. 

NA

Pie Chart

The pie chart represents data in a circular format. Each category is represented as a slice of an entire circle, and the size of each slice shows its proportion of the total dataset. For example, the frequency distribution table of kids who prefer different fruits is given below:

Fruit  Number of kids (frequency) Apple 8 Orange 5 Pineapple 7 Strawberry 4 Mango 6

Here, the pie chart of the given frequency distribution table is given below. 

To convert a number into a percentage, we use the formula:


Percentage = Frequency of a category / Total frequency × 100 


So, total frequency = 8 + 5  + 7 + 4 + 6 = 30

Frequency of Apple = 8/30 × 100 = 26. 7%
 

Frequency of Orange = 5/30 × 100 = 16.7%
 

Frequency of Pineapple = 7/30 × 100 = 23.3%
 

Frequency of Strawberry = 4/30 × 100 = 13.3%
 

Frequency of Mango = 6/30 × 100 = 20%