How_To_Be_Good_At_Math

STATISTICS • FREQUENCY TABLES 271

Frequency tables

A frequency table is a way of summarizing a set of data.

The table shows you exactly how many times each

number, event, or item occurs in the set of data.

This frequency table is

based on the survey of how

children travelled to school. The

frequency column shows you

how many children used each

type of transport.

Frequency tables don’t

always look the same. The

table here uses the same data

as the one above, but it doesn’t

include the tally marks. This

makes the table simpler and

easier to understand.

Some frequency tables

split up data so it reveals

more information. This table

tells you how many adults and

children visited a dinosaur

museum each day during one

week. It also tells you the total

number of visitors there were

(adults + children) each day.

You can create a frequency

table by counting the tally

marks in a tally chart and writing

the totals in a separate column. Walk

Car

Bike

Bus

Train

18

10

9

3

2

Frequency is shown

only as numbers

The museum is

closed on Mondays

Count the tally

marks and put the

totals in this column

The frequency of

something tells you how

often it happens.

How we travelled to school

Transport Tally Frequency

Travelling to school

Frequency

Walk

Car

Bike

Bus

Train

18

10

9

3

2

Dinosaur

Museum

visitor

numbers

Day

Monday 0

Tuesday 301

Wednesday 146

Thursday 312

Friday 458

Saturday 576

Sunday 741

Transport

Adults Children Total

(^00)
(^326627)
348 494
253 565
374 832
698 1274
639 1380
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