PERTEMUAN 3: STURGES’ FORMULA

STURGES’ FORMULA
Definition: which offers a way to
calculate the number of classes
to use for a data set of size n:

Number of classes (1+3.31*log (n))

Ex: n = 200
Result: (1+3.3*log(200)=8.59~9)
NEXT STEP
Once the number of classes is known, we need to decide on the class width interval, or
the lower and upper bounds for the data values in each class.

The range of the data is calculated as the largest minus the smallest value in
our data set.
we can calculate the range as: 90 minutes (the longest commute) minus 15 minutes (the
shortest commute) equals 75 minutes.
NEXT STEP
1. To create the frequency table, we begin with the lowest value in our data set,
which, in this example, is 15 minutes. (lower bound)
2. To find the upper bound, we add 8.34 to obtain 23.34. Therefore, our first class is 15 to
23.34
3. The second class will not include the value of 23.34 as its lower bound,
giving us a lower bound of >23.34

4. Adding 8.34 give us an upper bound of 31.68. Thus, the second class is >23.34 to 31.68.
We continue creating all classes in this manner.
USING EXCEL: FREQUENCY FORMULA (BELUM
DISESUAIKAN)
Here, we use the =FREQUENCY() function, that returns a set of frequency counts for class
intervals as its result.
To use the =FREQUENCY() function, first clear the contents of cells F4 through F12. Now, follow
these steps exactly:

• Click the mouse on cell F4 and drag it down to cell F12 in order to select the range F4:F12,
which is where you would like to place the frequency counts (this function’s results).
• Cells F4:F12 will now be highlighted. Type ‘=FREQUENCY(A2:A201,E4:E12)’
• When you are done typing, press and hold (simultaneously) the ‘Ctrl’ and
‘Shift’ and ‘Enter’ keys (on your keyboard) to obtain the results. This specific key combination is
used to trigger the calculations that produce the frequency counts.
HOW IS STEP TO USE FREQUENCY FUNCTION
we use the =FREQUENCY() function, that returns a set of frequency counts for class
intervals as its result.
1. Click the mouse on cell Q5 and drag it down to cell Q13 in order to select the
range Q5:Q13, which is where you would like to place the frequency counts (this
function’s results).
2. Click ‘insert function’ (fx)
3. on the ‘function argument’ , fill the data array and bins array
data array: A3:J22
bins array: P5:P13
4. Click ‘Ctrl+shift+enter
EXERCISE 1
1. In a data set with 100 observations, use Sturges’ formula to determine the
number of classes to use in a frequency table.
2. In a data set with 500 observations, in which the lowest value is 50 and the
highest is 160, what would be your class width?
3.

Answer:
1. Number of classes : (1+3.3*log(100)=7.6~8)
2. Number of classes: (1+3.3*log(500)=9.9-10
Class width: (160-50)/10= 11
EXERCISE 2
3. You collected data about the financial performance of 1,000 organizations.
As part of understanding your data, you would like to find out more about
the sizes of the organizations that participated in your survey (e.g., are they
small, medium, large, etc.). The collected size data are provided in this
chapter’s Excel spreadsheet in the worksheet titled ‘Organization Size’.

a. Determine the number of classes to use and class width. Why did you
choose these classes?
b. Construct a frequency table for organization size using the
=FREQUENCY() function in Excel.
c. What can you say about the sizes of the organizations in your data set?