MEASURES OF RELATIVE POSITION OR FRACTILES

Fractile is the division of an array into equivalent subgroups. It identifies

the position of a value in an array. An array divided into hundred equal parts is
percentile. In quartile, array is divided into four equal parts and decile divides an
array into 10 equal parts.
𝑖(𝑛+1) 𝑡ℎ
General formula to is: ⎡ ⎤
⎣ 𝐹 ⎦
where i = term of interest; n = number of observed values; and F = Fractile
(Percentile = 100; Decile = 10; Quartile = 4)
Percentiles (Pk). Values in an array are subdivided into 100 equal parts.
For instance, P1 is read as first percentile which means that the value is greater
than 1% of the observed values in the array. P2, read as second percentile, value
is greater than 2% of the observed values in the array, and so on.
QUARTILES FOR GROUPED DATA
Procedure:
1. Add down or accumulate the frequencies starting from the lowest to
the highest-class limit. Call this the cumulative frequency (cf).
𝑘𝑛
2. Find 4
of the number of cases in the distribution.
3. Find the cumulative frequency which is equal or closest (but higher
𝑘𝑛
than) to the 4
of the number of cases. The class containing this
frequency is the Qk class.
4. Find the lower boundary (Lb) of the Qk class by subtracting 0.5 from
the lower limit of the Qk class.
5. Get the cumulative frequency of the class below the Qk class (<cfb).
𝑘𝑛
6. Subtract this from the 4
of the number of cases in the distribution
𝑘𝑛
( 4
- <cfb)
7. Get the frequency of the Qk class
8. Find the class interval (i) then follow the given formula below:
Example 4.15
Find the first, second and third quartiles of the given data set:
Class Limits f
10-14 4
15-19 4
20-24 5
25-29 9
30-34 13
35-39 11
40-44 2
45-49 2

Solution (Q1):

Class Limits F <cfb

10-14 4 4
15-19 4 8 <cfb
20-24 5 (f) 13 Q1 Class
25-29 9 22
30-34 13 35
35-39 11 46
40-44 2 48
45-49 2 50
n = 50
First Quartile (Q1)
i=5
𝑘𝑛 1(50)
4
= 4
= 12.5
Lb = Ll – 0.5 = 20 – 0.5 = 19.5
𝑘𝑛
− <𝑐𝑓𝑏
Q1 = Lb + ( )i
4
𝑓

12.5 − 8
Q1 = 19.5 + ( 5
)5

Q1 = 19.5 + 4.5
Q1 = 24
∴ first quartile is equal to 24
Solution (Q2):
Class Limits f <cfb
10-14 4 4
15-19 4 8
20-24 5 13
25-29 9 22 <cfb
30-34 13 (f) 35 Q2 Class
35-39 11 46
40-44 2 48
45-49 2 50
n = 50
Second Quartile (Q2)
i=5
𝑘𝑛 2(50)
4
= 4
= 25
Lb = 30 – 0.5 = 29.5
𝑘𝑛
− <𝑐𝑓𝑏
Q2 = Lb + ( )i
4
𝑓

25 − 22
Q2 = 29.5 + ( 13
)5
3
Q2 = 29.5 + ( 13 )5

Q2 = 29.5 + 1.15
Q2 = 30.65
∴ second quartile is equal to 30.65
Solution (Q3):

Class Limits f <cfb

10-14 4 4
15-19 4 8
20-24 5 13
25-29 9 22
30-34 13 35 <cfb

35-39 11 (f) 46 Q3 Class

40-44 2 48
45-49 2 50
 n = 50

Third Quartile (Q3)

i=5
𝑘𝑛 3(50)
4
= 4
= 37.5
Lb = 35 – 0.5 = 34.5
𝑘𝑛
− <𝑐𝑓𝑏
Q3 = Lb + ( )i
4
𝑓

37.5 − 35
Q3 = 34.5 + ( )5
11
2.5
Q3 = 34.5 + ( 11
)5

12.5
Q3 = 34.5 + ( 11
)

Q3 = 34.5 + 1.14
Q3 = 35.64
∴ third quartile is equal to 35.64

DECILES FOR GROUPED DATA

Procedure:
1. Add down or accumulate the frequencies starting from the lowest to
the highest-class limit. Call this the cumulative frequency (cf).
𝑘𝑛
2. Find 10 of the number of cases in the distribution.
3. Find the cumulative frequency which is equal or closest (but higher
𝑘𝑛
than) to the 10 of the number of cases. The class containing this
frequency is the Dk class.
4. Find the lower boundary (Lb) of the Dk class by subtracting 0.5 from
the lower limit of the Dk class.
5. Get the cumulative frequency of the class below the Dk class (<cfb).
𝑘𝑛
6. Subtract this from the 10 of the number of cases in the distribution
𝑘𝑛
( 10 - <cfb)
7. Get the frequency of the Dk class
8. Find the class interval (i) then follow the given formula below:
Example 4.16
Find the second, fourth and eight deciles of the given data set:
Class Limits f
10-14 4
15-19 4
20-24 5
25-29 9
30-34 13
35-39 11
40-44 2
45-49 2

Solution (D2):
Class Limits f <cfb
10-14 4 4
15-19 4 8 <cfb
20-24 5 (f) 13 D2 Class
25-29 9 22
30-34 13 35
35-39 11 46
40-44 2 48
45-49 2 50
n = 50
 Second Decile (D2)
i=5
𝑘𝑛 2(50)
10
= 10
= 10
Lb = 20 – 0.5 = 19.5
𝑘𝑛
− <𝑐𝑓𝑏
D2 = Lb + ( )i
10
𝑓

10 − 8
D2 = 19.5 + ( )5
5

D2 = 19.5 + 2
D2 = 21.5
∴ second decile is equal to 21.5

Solution (D4):
Class Limits f <cfb
10-14 4 4
15-19 4 8
20-24 5 13 <cfb
25-29 9 (f) 22 D4 Class
30-34 13 35
35-39 11 46
40-44 2 48
45-49 2 50
n = 50
Fourth Decile (D4)
i=5
𝑘𝑛 4(50)
10
= 10
= 20
Lb = 25 – 0.5 = 24.5
𝑘𝑛
− <𝑐𝑓𝑏
D4 = Lb + ( )i
10
𝑓

20 − 13
D4 = 24.5 + ( )5
9
 7
D4 = 24.5 + ( )5
9
35
D4 = 24.5 + 9

D4 = 24.5 + 3.89
D4 = 28.39
∴ fourth decile is equal to 28.39

Solution:
Class Limits f <cfb
10-14 4 4
15-19 4 8
20-24 5 13
25-29 9 22
30-34 13 35 <cfb
35-39 11 (f) 46 D8 Class
40-44 2 48
45-49 2 50
n = 50

Eight Decile (D8)

i=5
𝑘𝑛 8(50)
10
= 10
= 40
Lb = 35 – 0.5 = 34.5
𝑘𝑛
− <𝑐𝑓𝑏
Dk = Lb + ( )i
10
𝑓

40 − 35
D8 = 34.5 + ( )5
11

5
D8 = 34.5 + ( )5
11
25
D8 = 34.5 + 11

D8 = 34.5 + 2.27
D8 = 36.77
PERCENTILES FOR GROUPED DATA
Procedure:
1. Add down or accumulate the frequencies starting from the lowest to
the highest-class limit. Call this the cumulative frequency (cf).
𝑘𝑛
2. Find 100 of the number of cases in the distribution.
3. Find the cumulative frequency which is equal or closest (but higher
𝑘𝑛
than) to the 100 of the number of cases. The class containing this
frequency is the Pk class.
4. Find the lower boundary (Lb) of the Pk class by subtracting 0.5 from
the lower limit of the Pk class.
5. Get the cumulative frequency of the class below the Pk class (<cfb).
𝑘𝑛
6. Subtract this from the 100 of the number of cases in the distribution
𝑘𝑛
( 100 - <cfb)
7. Get the frequency of the Pk class
8. Find the class interval (i) then follow the given formula below:

Example 4.17
Find the 35th, 60th and 88th percentiles of the given data set:
Class Limits f
10-14 4
15-19 4
20-24 5
25-29 9
30-34 13
35-39 11
 40-44 2
45-49 2
Solution:
Class Limits f <cfb
10-14 4 4
15-19 4 8
20-24 5 13 <cfb
25-29 9 (f) 22 P35 Class
30-34 13 35
35-39 11 46
40-44 2 48
45-49 2 50
n = 50
35th Percentile (P35)
i=5
𝑘𝑛 35(50)
100
= 100
= 17.5
Lb = 25 – 0.5 = 24.5
𝑘𝑛
− <𝑐𝑓𝑏
Pk = Lb + (
100
𝑓
)i

17.5 − 13
P35 = 24.5 + ( )5
9

4.5
P35 = 24.5 + ( )5
9
22.5
P35 = 24.5 + 9

P35 = 24.5 + 2.5

P35 = 27

Solution:
Class Limits f <cfb
10-14 4 4
15-19 4 8
20-24 5 13
25-29 9 22 <cfb
30-34 13 (f) 35 P60 Class
35-39 11 46
40-44 2 48
45-49 2 50
n = 50
Computation:
60th Percentile (P60)
i=5
𝑘𝑛 60(50)
100
= 100
= 30
Lb = 30 – 0.5 = 29.5
𝑘𝑛
− <𝑐𝑓𝑏
Pk = Lb + ( )i
100
𝑓

30 − 22
P60 = 29.5 + ( )5
13

8
P60 = 29.5 + ( )5
13
40
P60 = 29.5 + 13

P60 = 29.5 + 3.08

P60 = 32.58
Solution:
Class Limits f <cfb
10-14 4 4
15-19 4 8
20-24 5 13
25-29 9 22
30-34 13 35 <cfb
35-39 11 (f) 46 P88 Class
40-44 2 48
45-49 2 50
n = 50
Computation:
88th Percentile (P88)
i=5
𝑘𝑛 88(50)
100
= 100
= 44
Lb = 35 – 0.5 = 34.5
 𝑘𝑛
− <𝑐𝑓𝑏
Pk = Lb + ( )i
100
𝑓

44 − 35
P88 = 34.5 + ( )5
11

9
P88 = 34.5 + ( )5
11
45
P88 = 34.5 + 11

P88 = 34.5 + 4.09

P88 = 38.59
∴ 88th percentile is equal to 38.59