Histograms:

A histogram is a bar graph where the bars always touch and the width of the bar
represents a quantitative value. Information in a histogram is presented in condensed
form. The following is an example of a histogram:
(You can also view another example of a histogram on page ! of your text."
To #onstruct a $istogram:
%" &ecide how many bars or classes you want. ('sually to %"
(" )ind a convenient class width. (*ach class should have the same width+
however, usually the first or last class width is a slight bit longer or shorter-"
!" .rgani/e the data into a frequency table.
0" 1ince we want the bars to touch, put in class boundaries.
The following example will help us to see how easily a histogram can be constructed:
2ridget 3hillips is the star of the school4s bas5etball team. The numbers of points
scored by 2ridget in her last (6 games are: !7, !(, (8, !6, !!, !7, (0, !!, (9, !6, !6, (,
!0, !7, !0, !%, !7, (9, !6, and !0.
1olution:
)irst, we need to decide how many bars we would li5e in our histogram. If we
analy/e the numbers, we see that will be sufficient. (1ometimes, I will complete this
step for you to 5eep my sanity-"
1econd, we need to come up with the class width. :e use the formula:
#lass :idth ; largest data value < smallest data value
desired number of classes
#lass :idth ; !7 < (0 ; %( ; (.0 ; ! =Always round to the next whole >

The class width tells us that we will have intervals of ! numbers.
:e can now begin constructing the frequency table and filling in the information:
)requency Table of 2ridget 3hillips 3oints 1cored .ver ?ast (6 @ames 3layed
Interval (Class) Tally Frequency Class Midpoint
! < !A
!( < !0
(9 < !%
(7 < (8
(! B (
1ometime, it is necessary to calculate the class midpoint (class mar5". This is
used as a representative of the entire class. To do this we use the following formula:
Cidpoint ; ?ower #lass ?imit D 'pper #lass ?imit
(
===#alculate the midpoint for each class and fill in the above table.
Eow, since we want our bars to touch we need to compute the class boundaries
for each bar. To calculate the class boundaries, we loo5 at each interval. :e ta5e the
lower class limit and subtract .. Eext, we ta5e the upper class limit and add .. )or
example, our lowest interval is (! < (. :e ta5e (! and subtract . to get ((., and we
ta5e ( and add . to get (.. These boundaries will go on the hori/ontal axis of our
histogram.
:e now have everything we need to construct the histogram- :e can also answer
the following questions:
A" :hich interval contains the greatest frequencyF
2" In how many games did 2ridget score !( or more pointsF
#" In what percent of these (6 games did 2ridget score fewer than (7 pointsF
Core examples:
%" The table below represents the number of miles per gallon (mpg" of gasoline
obtained by 06 drivers of compact cars in a large city.
Interval Frequency
%7 < %9
(6 < (! %%
(0 < (A 8
(8 < !%
!( < ! A
!7 < !9 !
06 < 0! %
#onstruct a frequency table and frequency histogram based on the data. Then,
answer the following questions.
A" In what interval is the greatest frequency foundF
2" :hat is the number (or frequency" of cars reporting mileage between
(8 and !% mpgF
#" In what interval are the fewest cars reportedF
&" $ow many of the cars reported mileages greater than !% mpgF
*" :hat percent of the cars reported mileages from (0 to (A mpgF
(" Thirty students on the trac5 team were timed in the (66Bmeter dash. *ach
student4s time was recorded to the nearest tenth of a second. The times were:
(9.!, !%.(, !A.7, !6.9, (7.6, !(.0, !%.8, !7.7, !.6, !8.6, !A.6, ((.8, !.(, !.8,
!A.A, !8.%, !0.6, !0.%, (8.8, (9.7, (7.9, !7.9, !9.7, (9.9, !6.6, !7.6, !7.6, !7.%,
!8.(, and !A.8. #omplete the table below and construct a frequency histogram
for the given data.
Interval Tally Frequency Midpoint
!A.6 < 06.9
!!.6 < !7.9
(9.6 < !(.9
(.6 < (8.9
(%.6 < (0.9
!" #omplete the following table and construct a histogram using the data:
Interval Frequency Midpoint
% < ! (0
0 < 7 !6
A < 9 (8
%6 < %( 0%
%! < % %9
%7 B %8 8
0" The following are test grades for %8 students: A(, 87, 9, A, %66, 8, 8A, %66,
8%, 87, A8, 90, 97, 86, %66, 98, 97, and 9%. #omplete the following table and
construct a frequency histogram.
:e can also construct histograms on the TIB8!. ?et4s try the following example using the
calculator:
Interval Tally Frequency Midpoint
97 < %66
9% < 9
87 < 96
8% < 8
A7 < 86
A% B A
The number of houses sold each month by two realtors, 3ete and Cildred,
is shown below for the last !7 months.
3ete:
0 9 0 9 ( 6 8 0 8 %6
7 A %! 8 ( %6 6 %( 8 0 7 8
7 ! ! 7 A %! 9 %% ! 0 6 8
Cildred:
7 9 6 % ( ! 7 ! 9 8 A
! 8 % 6 6 0 8 9 A
0 % % 7 ( ! % 8 ! %!
A" Ca5e a frequency table and a histogram for 3ete and for Cildred. 'se five
classes for each.
2" 2y loo5ing at the two histograms, can we say who sells more housesF
?et4s complete the frequency table and histogram for 3ete.
%" )irst, we should figure out the class si/es using what we have learned above.
:e 5now we want five classes, with our largest data value being %! and our
smallest data value being 6. Therefore, we will have a class width of !. :e
should now begin constructing our frequency table.
(" $it 1TAT and choose >% *&IT. This will bring you to a screen that loo5s li5e
table.
!" 'nder ?% we will enter all of the individual number of houses sold for 3ete,
ma5ing sure we have entered !7 values.
0" Eow we will hit 1TAT 3?.T which is above Y ;. 1elect >%. Turn this .E
and under TY3*: choose the figure that loo5s li5e a histogram.
" Eow we will hit G..C >9 for the statistics window. 'nfortunately, this
gives us A classes for our data when all we wanted was . This means that we
will have to change our window setting. $it :IE&.: and you will see a list
that loo5s li5e this and we will fill in the appropriate information:
Hmin ; (lowest class boundary after rounding" ; 6
Hmax ; (highest class boundary after rounding" ; %
Hscl ; (class width" ; !
Ymin ; (lowest value we would li5e to see on our axis" ; 6
Ymax ; (highest value we would li5e to see on our axis" ; %
Yscl ; %
Hres ; %
7" 1elect @IA3$ to view the histogram.
A" 1elect TIA#* to see the frequency of each bar.
8" #opy and complete all parts of the question.
&o now: #omplete the histogram and frequency table for Cildred and answer 3art 2.