Relative frequency

Definition

Relative frequency is the ratio of the number of times a particular event occurs to the total number of events. It is often expressed as a fraction, decimal, or percentage.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Relative frequency can be calculated by dividing the frequency of a specific event by the total number of observations.
2. The sum of all relative frequencies in a data set is equal to 1 (or 100%).
3. Relative frequencies are useful for comparing data sets with different sample sizes.
4. Relative frequency can be visualized using histograms and frequency polygons.
5. It provides insight into the likelihood or probability of an event occurring within a given data set.

Review Questions

• How do you calculate relative frequency?
• Why is relative frequency useful when comparing different data sets?
• What should the sum of all relative frequencies in a data set equal?

Related terms

Frequency:

The number of times a particular event occurs within a data set.

Histogram:

A graphical representation that organizes a group of data points into user-specified ranges, often used to visualize frequency distributions.

Frequency Polygon:

A graph constructed by using lines to join the midpoints of each interval, or bin, in order to display the distribution's shape and trends.