Histogram

Definition

A histogram is a type of bar graph used to represent the frequency distribution of a dataset. It displays data using adjacent bars to show the number of observations within each interval.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Histograms are used to visualize the distribution and spread of continuous data.
2. The x-axis represents intervals (or bins) while the y-axis represents frequencies.
3. Bins in a histogram must be contiguous and of equal width.
4. Histograms can help identify patterns such as skewness, modality, and outliers in the data.
5. Unlike bar charts, histograms do not have gaps between bars unless an interval has zero frequency.

Review Questions

• What information does the x-axis and y-axis of a histogram represent?
• How do histograms differ from bar charts?
• Why is it important for bins in a histogram to be contiguous?

Related terms

Frequency Polygon: A graphical representation of the distribution of a dataset, where points representing frequencies at midpoints of intervals are connected by straight lines.

Time Series Graph: A line graph that displays data points at successive time intervals to show trends over time.

Bar Chart: A chart with rectangular bars representing categorical data with variable lengths proportional to their respective frequencies or values.