A frequency table organizes categorical data by listing each category and the whole-number frequency, or number of occurrences, associated with it. The learner interprets frequencies to determine totals, identify the most or least common category, compare categories, and find differences or answer simple questions about the data, without confusing a category with its count. This understanding is limited to discrete counts and does not include relative frequency, grouped intervals, or statistical measures such as mean.
A frequency table shows categories and how many times each category occurs.
Suppose this table shows students’ favorite fruits:
| Fruit | Number of students |
|---|---|
| Apples | 6 |
| Bananas | 4 |
| Oranges | 2 |
| Grapes | 5 |
Add all the frequencies:
So, 17 students answered the question.
Look for the greatest frequency. The greatest number is .
So, apples are the most common favorite fruit.
Look for the smallest frequency. The smallest number is .
So, oranges are the least common favorite fruit.
There are students who chose apples and who chose bananas. Find the difference:
So, 2 more students chose apples than bananas.
Always read the category and its frequency together. The word “apples” is the category, while is its count.
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