Frequency Table (Grouped data)

Sometimes the data under consideration has such a large range of values that it is
most useful to collect the values into groups or classes.
e.g.) The weights of 100 students correct to the nearest kilogram are shown in the
frequency table below.
Weight Frequency
(kg)
35 − 39 12
40 – 44 8
45 − 49 10
50 − 54 7
55 − 59 12
60 − 64 15
65 − 69 12
70 − 74 8
75 − 79 7
80 − 84 9

The table above contains grouped data.

The following concepts/terms are associated with grouped data:
1. Class intervals
2. Class limits
3. Class boundaries
4. Class width
5. Class mid-point or the mid-interval value

Class intervals
The class interval is defined as the size of a group or class. For the frequency
table above, the first class/group has the class interval 35 – 39 kg. The second
class has the class interval 40 – 44 kg, and so on.
Class limits
These are the end values of a class interval. Each class interval has two class
limits, a lower class limit to the left and an upper class limit to the right. In the
frequency table above, the lower class limit for the first class is 35 kg and the
upper class limit is 39 kg. For the second class (40 – 44 kg), the lower limit is 40
kg and the upper limit is 44 kg.
Class boundaries
Class boundaries eliminate the gaps between the classes. For example, in the table
above, the upper limit for the first class is 39 kg and the lower limit for the second
class is 40 kg. There is a gap between the classes.
When a weight is given as 35 kg to the nearest kg, its true value lies between 34.5
kg and 35.5 kg. Therefore, each weight in the class interval 35 – 39 kg has a true
value between 34.5 kg and 39.5 kg. These are the class boundaries for the first
class. The lower class boundary is 34.5 kg and the upper class boundary is 39.5
kg.
The lower class boundary is usually found by subtracting 0.5 from the lower class
limit. The upper class boundary is usually found by adding 0.5 to the upper class
limit.
The class boundaries are shown in the table below
Weight Frequency Class
(kg) boundaries
35 − 39 12 34.5 − 39.5
40 – 44 8 39.5 − 44.5
45 − 49 10 44.5 − 49.5
50 − 54 7 49.5 − 54.5
55 − 59 12 54.5 − 59.5
60 − 64 15 59.5 − 64.5
65 − 69 12 64.5 − 69.5
70 − 74 8 69.5 − 74.5
75 − 79 7 74.5 − 79.5
80 − 84 9 79.5 − 84.5

Class width
Class width is the difference between the upper and lower class boundaries.
Class width = upper class boundary – lower class boundary
The class width for the first class is 39.5 – 34.5 = 5 kg
(Each class should have the same class width.)
Class mid-point/ mid-interval value
The class mid-point is the average of the lower and upper class boundaries of the
34.5 + 39.5
class. For example, the class mid-point for the first class is = 37 kg
2
39.5 + 44.5
The class mid-point for the second class is = 42 kg
2

Grouped data can be represented in histograms and frequency polygons.

To represent the data in a histogram, we plot the frequency on the y-axis and the
observation on the x-axis. For the x-axis, you can either use the class boundaries
or the class mid-points of the observation.
E.g. Draw a histogram to represent the data in the frequency table above

Please note that in the histogram above, the class boundaries of the observation
(weight) are used. The bars are drawn on the class boundaries.
Another way that the histogram can be drawn is by plotting the class mid-points
for the observation on the x-axis. The class-midpoints are shown below.

Weight (kg) Frequency Class mid-points

35 − 39 12 37
40 – 44 8 42
45 − 49 10 47
50 − 54 7 52
55 − 59 12 57
60 − 64 15 62
65 − 69 12 67
70 − 74 8 72
75 − 79 7 77
80 − 84 9 82

Please note that the class mid-points are at the center of the width of the bars.
To represent the data in a frequency polygon, we plot frequency on the y-axis and
the class mid-points for the observation on the x-axis. The frequency polygon is
shown below.

The frequency polygon below is closed.