Lesson 3

FREQUENCY
DISTRIBUTION
Frequency Distribution
- Grouping of data into
categories showing the
number of observations in
each of non-overlapping
classes.
2.2 DEFINING SOME TERMS
Raw Data - data collected
in original form
Range - the difference of
the highest value and the
lowest value in a
distribution
Frequency Distribution -
the organization of data in a
tabular form, using
mutually exclusive classes
showing the number of
observations in each.
Frequency (f) - is the
number of values in a
specific class of a
frequency distribution
Class Limits (or Apparent
Limits) - the highest and
lowest values describing a
class
Class Boundaries (or Real
Limits) - the upper and
lower values of a class for
group frequency distribution
whose values has additional
decimal place more that the
class limits and end with the
digit 5.
Interval (or Width) -
distance between the class
lower boundary and the
class upper boundary and it
is denoted by the symbol i
Percentage - obtained by
multiplying the relative
frequency by 100%
Relative Frequency (rf) -
the value obtained when
the frequencies in each
class of the frequency
distribution is divided by
the total number of values
Cumulative Frequency (cf) -
the sum of the frequencies
accumulated upt o the upper
boundary of a class in a
frequency distribution
Midpoint - point halfway
between the class limits of
each class and is
represented of the data
within that class.
2.3 CONSTRUCTING
FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION

A grouped frequency
distribution is used when
the range of the data set is
large.
The data must be grouped
into classes whether it is
categorical data or interval
data. For interval data the
classes is more than one
unit in width.
A. Categorical Frequency
Distribution
- used to organized
nominal-level or
ordinal-level type of data.
Some examples where we
can apply this distribution
are gender, business type,
political affiliation, and
others.
EXAMPLE:
Twenty applicants were
given a performance
evaluation appraisal. The
data set is:
High High High Low
Average Average Low
Average Average Low
Average Average High
Average High Low
Low Average High High
Construct a categorical
frequency distribution for
the data.
 SOLUTION:
STEP 1
Class Tally Frequency Percentage

High

Average

Low
 Tally the raw data.

STEP 2
Class Tally Frequency Percentage

High IIII-II

Average IIII-III

Low IIII
 Convert the tallied data into numerical
STEP 3
frequencies.
Class Tally Frequency Percentage

High IIII-II 7

Average IIII-III 8

Low IIII 5

Σ f = 20
STEP 4 Determine the percentage.
the percentage is computed
using the formula:
 Class Tally Frequency Percentage

High IIII-II 7 35%

Average IIII-III 8 40%

Low IIII 5 25%

Σ f = 20 Σ%
=100%
For the sample, more applicants received an
average performance rating.
B. Determining Class
Interval
-the decision about the
number of classes depends
on the method used by the
researcher.
RULE 1

To determine the number of

Formula 2-2
RULE 3
Another guideline to
determine the class interval
is to have an ideal number
of classes

Formula 2-3
C. Grouped Numerical
Frequency Distribution
 EXAMPLE:
Suppose a researcher wished
to do a study on the monthly
salary of call center agents
of selected Business Process
Outsourcing(BPO)
companies.
The research first would
have to collect the data by
asking each call center
agents about their monthly
salary. The data collected in
original form is called raw
data.
The data are:
Construct a frequency
distribution using Rule 1
and determine the
following:
a. Range
b. Interval
c. Class Limits
d. Class boundaries
e. Relative frequencies
f. Percentages
g. Cumulative frequencies
h. Midpoints
 SOLUTION:
Arrange the raw data in
STEP 1
ascending or descending
order.
STEP 2 Determine the classes.
• Find the highest and
lowest value.
HV = 33.70 LV = 14.10
• Find the range.
Range = HV-LV
= 33.70-14.10
=19.60
• Determine the number
of classes.

= 1+3.322 log 80
= 7.32206493679
=7
• Determine the class
interval (or width).
 • Select a starting point for
the lowest class limit.
The starting point can be
the smallest data value or
any convenient number less
than the smallest data
value. In our case 14 is
used.
 • Set the individual class
limit.
Add the interval to the
lowest score taken as the
starting point to obtain the
lower limit of the next
class.
To obtain the upper class
limits, subtract one unit to
the lower limit of the
second class to obtain the
limit of the first class.
Then add the interval to
each upper limit to obtain all
the upper limits.
Class limits Class
boundaries
14 - 16
17 - 19
20 - 22
23 - 25
26 - 28
29 - 31
32 - 34
• Set the class boundaries
in each class. To obtain
the class boundaries,
subtract 0.5 from each
lower class and add 0.5
to each upper class limit.
Class Class boundaries Tally
limits
14 - 16 13.5 – 16.5
17 - 19 16.5 – 19.5
20 - 22 19.5 – 22.5
23 - 25 22.5 – 25.5
26 - 28 25.5 – 28.5
29 - 31 28.5 – 31.5
32 - 34 31.5 – 34.5
 Tally the raw data.
STEP 3
Class Class boundaries Tally
limits
14 - 16 13.5 – 16.5 IIII
17 - 19 16.5 – 19.5 IIII-IIII
20 - 22 19.5 – 22.5 IIII-IIII-IIII-I
23 - 25 22.5 – 25.5 IIII-IIII-IIII-III
I-III
26 - 28 25.5 – 28.5 IIII-IIII-IIII-II
29 - 31 28.5 – 31.5 IIII-III
32 - 34 31.5 – 34.5 III
 Convert the tallied data into
STEP 4 numerical frequencies.
f
Class Class boundaries Tally
limits
14 - 16 13.5 – 16.5 IIII 4
17 - 19 16.5 – 19.5 IIII-IIII 9
20 - 22 19.5 – 22.5 IIII-IIII-IIII-I 16
23 - 25 22.5 – 25.5 IIII-IIII-IIII-III 23
I-III
26 - 28 25.5 – 28.5 IIII-IIII-IIII-II 17
29 - 31 28.5 – 31.5 IIII-III 8
32 - 34 31.5 – 34.5 III 3
 Determine the relative frequency. It can be found by
dividing each frequency by the total frequency.
STEP 5
Class Frequency Relative Frequency
limits
14 - 16 4
17 - 19 9
20 - 22 16
23 - 25 23
26 - 28 17
29 - 31 8
32 - 34 3
Σ f = 80 Σf=1
 Determine the percentage. It can be found by multiplying
100% in each relative frequency.
STEP 6 Class Frequency Relative Percenta
limits Frequency ge
14 - 16 4 0.0500 5
17 - 19 9 0.1125 11.25
20 - 22 16 0.2000 20
23 - 25 23 0.2875 28.75
26 - 28 17 0.2125 21.25
29 - 31 8 0.1000 10
32 - 34 3 0.0375 3.75
Σ f = 80 Σ rf = 1 Σ % = 100
 Determine the cumulative frequency. It can be found by
adding frequency in each class to the total frequencies of
STEP 7
the classes preceding that class.
Greater than Less than
Class Frequency cumulative
cumulative
limits frequency frequency

14 - 16 4 80 4
17 - 19 9 76 13
20 - 22 16 67 29
23 - 25 23 51 52
26 - 28 17 28 69
29 - 31 8 11 77
32 - 34 3 3 80
Σ f = 80
 Determine the midpoints. It can be found by getting the
average of the upper and lower limit in each class.
STEP 8
Class Frequency Midpoint
limits
14 - 16 4
17 - 19 9
20 - 22 16
23 - 25 23
26 - 28 17
29 - 31 8
32 - 34 3
Final
table
 EXERCISE
Construct a frequency
distribution table for the
following:
Samples of 30 college
students are considered for
study and were categorized
according to year level.
The data set is
Junior Freshman
Sophomore Freshman
Sophomore Junior
Sophomore Sophomore
Senior Senior
Freshman Senior
Sophomore Sophomore
Freshman Sophomore
Freshman Freshman
Sophomore Sophomore
Senior Sophomore
Senior Junior
Freshman Senior
Junior Sophomore
Senior Senior

Construct a categorical
frequency distribution for
the data.
Construct a numerical frequency
distribution for the data. Given the ages
of COVID 19 patients

49 44 18 41 55 32

45 29 43 38 53 48

20 46 33 26 30 56

8 64 30 39 22 35

30 70 27 48 16 15