Frequency

Definition

Frequency is the number of times a particular value or category appears in a data set. It helps in understanding the distribution of data.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Frequency is a fundamental concept used to create frequency tables, which display data distribution.
2. It can be represented graphically using histograms and frequency polygons.
3. Cumulative frequency is the sum of the frequencies for all values up to a certain point in the data set.
4. In statistics, relative frequency is the ratio of the frequency of a particular value to the total number of observations.
5. Understanding frequency is essential for interpreting time series graphs and analyzing trends over time.

Review Questions

• What is frequency and why is it important in statistics?
• How does cumulative frequency differ from regular frequency?
• What graphical methods can be used to represent frequency?

Related terms

Frequency Table:

A table that lists each value in a data set along with its corresponding frequency.

Histogram:

A type of bar graph that represents the frequency distribution of continuous data.

Relative Frequency:

The proportion of times a specific value occurs compared to the total number of observations.