FREQUENCY TABLES

The list shows the number of fillings that each of a group of 20

students had in their teeth.
1 3 2 2 1 1 0 1 2 3
0 1 3 2 0 1 0 2 1 2
Find the modal, median and mean number of fillings.

Modal number of fillings = 1 (the number that occurs most often)

0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3
Median number of fillings = 1 (the middle number)

Mean number of fillings = 4 × 0 + 7 × 1 + 6 × 2 + 3 × 3 = 1.4

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Large sets of data are usually recorded in a frequency table.

The frequency table for the data

0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3
would be:
Number of fillings Frequency x×f A third column
(x) (f) is used to
0 4 0×4= 0 calculate the
number of fillings.
1 7 1×7= 7
2 6 2 × 6 = 12 The total of the f
and f × x columns
3 3 3×2= 9 is needed to
20 28 calculate the
mean.
Mean number of fillings = 28 = 1.4
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Example
The table shows the number of tractors owned by 25 farmers.
Find the modal, median and mean number of tractors.
Number of tractors Frequency x×f
1 11 1 × 11 = 11
2 8 2 × 8 = 16
3 5 3 × 5 = 15
4 1 4× 1= 4
25 46

(1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4)

Mode = 1 tractor (the number with the highest frequency)

Median = 2 tractors ((25 + 1) ⁄ 2 th value = 13th value)

Mean number of tractors = 46 = 1.84 tractors

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