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Cumulative Frequency
Example 11
Now, let us now look at the two tables below.

Number of Hours Spent Surfing the Internet by 40 students

Number of hours, 𝑡 Frequency Number of hours, 𝑡 Cumulative Frequency

0≤𝑡≤2 3 𝑡≤2 3
2≤𝑡≤4 5 𝑡≤4 3+5=8
4≤𝑡≤6 16
6≤𝑡≤8 12
8 ≤ 𝑡 ≤ 10 4
(a) (b)

Table (a) shows the frequency table for the number of hours spent surfing the internet by 40 students on
a particular day, while Table (b) shows the corresponding table of cumulative frequencies (or cumulative
frequency table).

To find the cumulative frequency for a particular hour 𝑘, we must add up the frequencies which are less
than or equal to 𝑘, i.e. 𝑡 ≤ 𝑘. For example, the cumulative frequency for 4 hours, i.e. 𝑡 ≤ 4 is 3 + 5 = 8.

Using the information in Table (a), complete Table (b).

From Table (b), find the number of students who surf the internet for
(i) 6 hours or less,

(ii) more than 8 hours

(iii) more than 4 hours but not more than 10 hours

Extra:
What does the last entry under ‘Cumulative Frequency’ of Table (b) represent? Explain your answer.

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From the above, you have learnt that the cumulative frequency for a particular value can be obtained by
adding up the frequencies which are less than or equal to that value. In other words, the cumulative
frequency is a ‘running total’ of frequencies.

Prepared by: Christopher Foo

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Exercise 11
The lengths of 40 insects of a certain species were measured, to the nearest millimetre. The frequency
distribution is given in the table below.

Length (𝑥 mm) Frequency

25 < 𝑥 ≤ 30 1
30 < 𝑥 ≤ 35 3
35 < 𝑥 ≤ 40 6
40 < 𝑥 ≤ 45 12
45 < 𝑥 ≤ 50 10
50 < 𝑥 ≤ 55 6
55 < 𝑥 ≤ 60 2

(a) Using the table given, construct a cumulative frequency table.

Length (𝑥 mm) Cumulative Frequency
𝑥 ≤ 25 0

(b) Using the cumulative frequency table above, find the number of insects which are
(i) 50mm or less in length

(ii) more than 45mm in length,

(iii) more than 35mm but less than or equal to 50mm in length.

Prepared by: Christopher Foo

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Cumulative Frequency Curve

Example 12
The table below shows the cumulative frequencies for the number of hours (𝑡) spent by 40 students
surfing the internet, on a particular day.

Number of hours, 𝑡 𝑡≤2 𝑡≤4 𝑡≤6 𝑡≤8 𝑡 ≤ 10

Cumulative Frequency 3 8 24 36 40

(a) Using a scale of 1cm to represent 1 hour on the horizontal axis and 1 cm to represent 5 students
on the vertical axis, draw a cumulative frequency curve for the data given in the table.

Note:
To plot a cumulative frequency curve:

Step 1: Label the vertical axis, i.e.

‘Cumulative Frequency’.

Step 2: Label the horizontal axis, i.e.

‘Number of hours (𝑡)’.

Step 3: Plot the points on the graph

paper. i.e. (2,3), (4,8), (6,24), (8,36)
and (10,40).

Step 4: Join all the points with a

smooth curve. If you have the flexible
ruler, use it!

(b) Using the cumulative frequency curve, estimate

(i) the number of students who surf the internet for 5 hours or less,
From the curve, the number of students who surf the internet for 5 hours or less is 14.

(ii) the percentage of students who surf the internet for more than 6.5 hours,
From the curve, the number of students who surf the internet for 6.5 hours or less is 29.

∴ 40 − 29 = 11 students who surf the internet for more than 6.5 hours.

11
So, the percentage would be 40 × 100 = 𝟐𝟕. 𝟓%

(iii) the value of 𝑡, such that 80% of the students surf the internet for 𝑡 hours or less.
80
80% of the students means × 40 = 32, i.e. 32 students surf the internet for 𝑡 hours or
100
less.

From my curve, the 𝑡 = 𝟕. 𝟎

Prepared by: Christopher Foo

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Exercise 12
The table below shows the amount of milk (in litres) produced by each of the 70 cows of a dairy farm, on
a particular day.
Amount of milk (𝑥 litres) Number of cows
0<𝑥≤4 7
4<𝑥≤6 11
6<𝑥≤8 17
8 < 𝑥 ≤ 10 20
10 < 𝑥 ≤ 12 10
12 < 𝑥 ≤ 14 5

(a) Complete the following cumulative distribution table for the data given.
Amount of milk (𝑥 litres) Number of cows
𝑥≤4 7
𝑥≤6 18
𝑥≤8
𝑥 ≤ 10
𝑥 ≤ 12
𝑥 ≤ 14

(b) Using a scale of 1cm to represent 1 litre on the horizontal axis and 1cm to represent 5 cows on
the vertical axis, draw a cumulative frequency curve for the data given.

(c) Using the curve in (b), estimate

(i) The number of cows that produce less than or equal to 9.4 litres of milk,
(ii) The fraction of the 70 cows that produce more than 7.4 litres of milk,
(iii) The value of 𝑥, if 70% of the cows produce more than 𝑥 litres of milk.

In Example 12, the upper-end points of the cumulative frequency classes are given as ‘less than or equal
to’, i.e. 𝑡 ≤ 𝑘. The cumulative frequencies can also be computed by having the upper-end points as ‘less
than’, i.e. 𝑡 < 𝑘. This is shown in my next example.

Prepared by: Christopher Foo

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Example 13
The ‘less than’ cumulative frequency curve shows the distribution of the masses (g) of 120 apples.

Estimate from the curve

(i) The number of apples having masses
less than 98g,
(ii) The fraction of the total number of
apples having masses 117g or more,
(iii) The value of 𝑘, given that 20% of the
apples have masses 𝑘 g or more.

Solution: (i) From the curve, it is estimated that 48

apples have masses less than 98g.

(ii) From the curve, 104 apples have

masses less than 117g.

∴ 120 − 104 = 16 apples have

masses 117g or more.

16 2
So the required fraction is 120 = 5.

20
(iii) 20% of 120 = 100 × 120
= 24
∴ 24 apples have masses 𝑘 g or more,
i.e. 120 − 24 = 96 apples have
masses less than 𝑘 g.

From the curve, 96 apples have

masses less than 114g. So 𝑘 = 114.

Prepared by: Christopher Foo

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Exercise 13
The Vitamin C content of 200 oranges is measured. The cumulative frequency curve below shows the
Vitamin C content, 𝑥 mg, and the number of oranges having Vitamin C content less than 𝑥 mg.

Use the curve to estimate

(i) The number of oranges having Vitamin C content less than 32mg,

(ii) The fraction of the total number of oranges having Vitamin C content of 26 mg or more,

(iii) The value of 𝑝, given that 40% of the oranges have Vitamin C content of 𝑝 mg or more.

Prepared by: Christopher Foo