Three Popular Data Displays

This section elaborates on how to describe data. In particular, you will learn about the relative frequency histogram. Complete the exercises and check your answers.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Graphical representations of large data sets provide a quick overview of the nature of the data.
  • A population or a very large data set may be represented by a smooth curve. This curve is a very fine relative frequency histogram in which the exceedingly narrow vertical bars have been omitted.
  • When a curve derived from a relative frequency histogram is used to describe a data set, the proportion of data with values between two numbers a and b is the area under the curve between a and b, as illustrated in Figure 2.6 "A Very Fine Relative Frequency Histogram".