Histograms

Resources:
• Savvas Lessons 11-1
• Algebra Nation Section 9 Topic 2

Objective: I will…
• Create and interpret histograms.

Standard:
• MAFS.912.S-ID.1.1: Represent data with plots on
the real number line.
Algebra students were asked how well they did on
their first statistics exam.
We can use a histogram to represent the data.
A histogram is a bar-style data display showing
frequency of data measured over intervals.
Each interval width must be the same.
Always title the graph and label both axes.
Choose the appropriate scale on the y-axis and the
appropriate intervals on the x-axis.
Histograms are used for larger data sets and
continuous data.
What is an interval?
Represent the students’ scores on a histogram.
Step 1: Find your lowest and
highest data value.
Step 2: Determine the appropriate 5
intervals and label the x-axis.
4
• Make sure they are equal and do
not overlap. 3
Step 3: Determine the frequency
of data values for each interval. 2
Step 4: Use the frequency values 1
to determine an appropriate scale
for the y-axis.
60 70 80 90 100 110
Step 5: Use bars to represent the frequency per interval.
Let’s Practice: Those same students were asked how many
minutes it took for them to complete the test.
Construct a histogram.

6
5
4
3
2
1
30 40 50 60 70 80
Beat the Test:
Determine the sets of data where it would be better to use a
histogram instead of a dot plot. Select all that apply.

 Average daily temperatures for Tampa, FL over a year

 Daily temperatures for Tampa, FL over a month
 The results of rolling two dice over and over
 Height of high school football players statewide
 Finishing times of 125 randomly selected athletes for a
100-meter race