Frequency Polygon
A Frequency Polygon is an alternative to
histograms, as it also used in representing the
frequency of an event. It is a line graph, joining
consecutive points.
Note: If drawn over a Histogram, each point on the
frequency polygon is the mid-point of the top of
each respective bar.
Example
The table below displays the results of a survey of 70
persons, providing their favourite number from the
list 1-9.
Numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Frequency 0 5 9 14 20 10 7 5 0
Cumulative Frequency
The cumulative frequency is obtained by adding
each frequency in the table, to the cumulative
frequency in the row above it.
Example:
Insert a cumulative frequency column into the table
below.
Recall, cumulative frequency is obtained by adding
the frequency in each row, to the cumulative
frequency in the row above it.
It should be noted that when a question asks that
the cumulative frequency should be determined, it is
also the norm that questions will ask candidates to
determine from the cumulative frequency table, the
proportion and/or percentage of the sample above
or below a given value.
This information can be determined from a
cumulative frequency table by inserting a Less than
or Equal to column.
For example, in the solution to the example above,
we can insert a Length Less than or Equal to column
as shown below.
Note the values in the Less than or Equal to column
are the values in the Length column, and this
information is interpreted as for example:
-When the length is 9cm, the values less than or
equal to 9cm, is the cumulative frequency, that is 17.
Note: If the cumulative frequency is to be calculated
for a table with grouped data, then the less than or
equal to value for each class will be the upper class
boundary.
Example:
How many lengths in the table above are less than
or equal to 10cm?
Identify 10 in the less than or equal to column, the
answer is the cumulative frequency amount in that
row, that is, 27.
 Range, Interquartile And Semi- -Q1 (the lower quartile) is the median of the
Interquartile Ranges (Raw Data)
numbers to the left of, or below Q2.
-Q3 (the upper quartile) is the median of the
Range
numbers to the right of, or above Q2.
The range of a set of numbers is the difference
Example:
between the largest and the smallest number.
12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32
Example:
Find the lower, middle and upper quartiles of the
Calculate the range of the following numbers:
data above.
204, 210, 215, 220, 225, 234, 238, 240
Since the data is already in ascending order, identify
The range
the median.
= the largest number the smallest number
12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32
= 240 204
22 is the median, therefore, Q2= 22
= 36
The median of the numbers to the left of Q2: 12,
Ungrouped Frequency Table-Range
14, 16, 18, 20
The range of a frequency distribution with
16 is the median, therefore, Q1 = 16
ungrouped events is calculated using the formula
The median of the numbers to the right of Q2: 24,
below.
26, 28, 30, 32
The range = the upper boundary limit of the largest
28 is the median, therefore, Q3 = 28
event the lower boundary of the smallest event
Interquartile Range
Example:
The interquartile range of a distribution is the
difference between the upper and lower quartiles.
That is, interquartile range = Q3 Q1
Therefore using the example above, the interquartile
range is:
Interquartile range = Q3 Q1
Since,

Find the range of the points in the table above. Q3 = 28

Firstly identify the largest and smallest points. Q1 = 16

Largest point = 13 Interquartile range

Smallest point = 7 = 28 16

Find the upper boundary limit of the largest and the = 12

lower boundary limit of the smallest. Semi-Interquartile Range

Upper boundary limit of 13 is, 13.5 The semi-interquartile range of a distribution is half

Lower boundary limit of 7 is, 6.5 the difference between the upper and lower

The range quartiles, or half the interquartile range.

= Upper boundary limit of 13 lower boundary Therefore, from the example above, it was

limit of 7 determined that the interquartile range = 12.

= 13.5 6.5 Therefore, semi-interquartile range

= 7
Quartiles
-Q2 (the middle quartile) is the median.