Data Analysis Unit

Interpreting Data in Various Forms

Standard/Objective:
I can interpret data shown in various data representations (dot
plots, histograms, and box plots). (S-ID.1)

Histogram
A histogram is a type of bar
graph that displays
continuous data in ordered
columns called intervals.
Categories are of
continuous measure such
as time, inches,
temperature, etc. Bars have
the same width and are
drawn next to each other
with no gaps.
Histograms
Advantages Disadvantages
Visually strong Cannot read exact values
from histogram because
data is grouped into
Can compare to normal
categories.
curve
More difficult to compare
Usually vertical axis is a
two data sets.
frequency count of items
falling into each category.
Use only with continuous
data (intervals).
 Histogram

Steps

1. Order the data from least to greatest.

2. Determine the intervals by find the range of the data set, dividing
the range by the number of intervals (5) and round to the nearest
whole number.
3. Determine the frequencies in each interval by counting the
numbers in the data set that lie within each interval.
4. Label x-axis with intervals and y axis with frequency.
5. Draw bars in each interval corresponding to the number of
frequency for each interval.
6. Give the histogram a title.
 Example #1

The ages of the Board of Directors of an insurance company are given below.

Board of
Use the data to make a histogram. Directors
Step 1: 50, 52, 54, 56, 57, 57, 60, 61, 61, 63, 64, 67, 69
Step 2: Create Intervals 69-50= 19
19 /5 = 3.8

Intervals = 4 equal intervals starting at 50.

Step 3: Determine the frequency

Step 4: Label x and y -axis
Step 5: Draw bars 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69

Ages
Step 6: Title
 Error Analysis-Example #1

The numbers of students in different classes at a community college:

25, 15, 28, 52, 22, 38, 42, 44, 24, 32, 19, 28, 29, 20, 31
What is wrong with the histograms below?

A). Community College Class S izes B). 7

Community College Class S izes
7

6 The intervals 6
The bars in
in Graph A 5 Graph B are

Frequency
5
Frequency

are not even, 4 not touching,

4
15 -19 then there should
3
3 20-29. be no gaps.
2
2

1
1

15-19 20-29 30-39 40-54 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54

S tudents S tudents
 Error Analysis-Example #2

Marisa recorded the heights, in inches, of the 17 students in her

homeroom. The data set she gathered was 66, 63, 60, 55, 73, 59, 59,
63, 71, 61, 65, 64, 64, 69, 65, 66, 64. She created a histogram to
display the data.

Which of the following are possible intervals she could use in her
histogram?

A). 60-64, 65-69, 70-74 B). 55-59, 60-66, 67-69, 70-74

C). 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74 D). 60-69, 70-79

All the data would fit in the intervals and the

intervals are evenly spaced out.
 Error Analysis-Example #4

The numbers of students in different classes at a community college:

25, 15, 28, 52, 22, 38, 42, 44, 24, 32, 19, 28, 29, 20, 31
Which graph represents the data set best?

A) Community College Class S izes B) Community College Class S izes

7
7

6 6 The bars in
Graph B are
Frequency

5 5

Frequency
4
not the same
4
width.
3 3

2 2

1 1

15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54

15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54
S tudents
S tudents
 Box and Whisker Plot

Box plot Advantages Disadvantages

A box plot is a concise Shows 5-point summary Not as visually appealing

graph showing the five point and outliers as other graphs
summary. Multiple box plots
can be drawn side by side
Easily compares two or Exact values are not
to compare more than one more data sets retained.
data set.

Handles extremely large

data sets easily.
 Box-and-Whisker Plots

A box encloses the middle half of the data and whiskers extend
to the minimum and maximum data values.
Steps
1. Order the data from least to greatest.
2. Find the minimum and maximum values.
3. Find the median.
4. Find the lower and upper quartiles (medians of the
lower and upper half).
5. Plot these five numbers below a number line.
6. Draw the box, whiskers, and a line segment through
the median.
 Example 1

Given the data below, construct a box-and-whisker plot.

A)36, 39, 40, 34, 33, 48, 25, 30, 37, 17, 42, 40, 24
Min: 17
17, 24, 25, 30, 33, 34, 36, 37, 39, 40, 40, 42, 48 Q1: 27.5
Median: 36
Q3: 40
Max: 48

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
 Example 2

Given the data below, construct a box-and-whisker plot.

B) 92, 94, 87, 76, 69, 82, 62, 90, 76, 82, 85, 87, 64, 61, 95, 87
Min: 61
61, 62, 64, 69, 76, 76, 82, 82, 85, 87, 87, 87, 90, 92, 94, 95
Q1: 72.5
Median: 83.6
Q3: 88.5
Max: 95

50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100
 What can be determined from
different representations?

The high temperatures in Concord, CA, for October 115, 2005, are
given below.

The data set is represented as a Histogram and Box Plot but each
graph tells a different story.

66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90
 Example #1- What can be
determined from a histogram?

The high temperatures in Concord, CA, for October 115, 2005, are
given below.
From the Histogram can the mean, median, mode and range be
determined without the data set? Mean: No, can not determine the
mean without the exactly
Median:
values from data set.
No, only the median interval
Mode: by finding the middle value
13 on the histogram.
4 12 Range: No, can not determine the
3 8 11
mode without the exactly
2 7 10 15
9 14
values from data set.
1 5 6
No, can not determine the
range without the exactly
Since there is 16 temperatures 8 is middle values from data set.
value, therefore 78-81 is the median interval.
 Example #2- What can be
determined from a Box Plot?

The high temperatures in Concord, CA, for October 115, 2005, are
given below.
From the Box Plot can the mean, median, mode and range be
determined without the data set?

66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90

Mean: No, can not determine the mean without the exactly
values from data set.
Median:
Yes, its 81.
Mode:

No, can not determine the mode without the exactly

Range:
values from data set.

Yes , its 17 because 87(max)- 70 (min).

 Example #3

Sara used box-and-whisker plots to show the points she scored in her basketball
games this season. She used different plots for the home and away game data, and
produced the graph below.

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26

Unfortunately, Sara cannot remember which plot represents the home game data
and which represents the away game data. Which fact can she use to determine
which set of data was used to create each box-and-whisker plot?

A). Sara scored at least 5 points in B). The mode of the set of away game
every home game. scores was 14.

C). Sara scored 23 points in an away D). Sara played more home
game last week. games than away games.
Both Box Plots have a minimum value of 5.
 Example #4

Jorge created the box-and-whisker plot below to display the number of points he
scored during each basketball game this season.

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Can you find the number of scores used to create the box-and-whisker plot? Why or
why not? Explain.

No, can not determine the exact number of points

scored without the exactly values from data set of
each basketball game.
 Example #5

Jorge created the box-and-whisker plot below to display the number of points he
scored during each basketball game this season.

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Find the range of points used to create the box-and-whisker plot or explain why it's
not possible to determine that from a box-and-whisker plot.

Yes, the range of points scored can be

determined, 14 - 4 = 10. The range of
points scored is 10.
 Example #6

Jorge created the box-and-whisker plot below to display the number of points he
scored during each basketball game this season.

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

Find the mode of the points used to create the box-and-whisker plot, or explain why
it's not possible to determine that from a box-and-whisker plot.

No, can not determine the mode points scored

without exactly values from data set from
each basketball game.
 Example #7

The counseling department at Glendale Community College created the following

histogram to display their class sizes.

Community College Class S izes

7

7
Yes, by adding up the
6
frequency of each bar to find
5
the total amount of classes
Frequency

2+7+3+3= 15 classes
4 they used to create the
were used to create the 3 3
histogram.
histogram. 3
2
2

15-19 20-29 30-39 40-54

S tudents
Explain how to determine, or why you cannot determine, the number of classes they
used to create the histogram.
 Example #8

The counseling department at Glendale Community College created the following

histogram to display their class sizes.
Community College Class S izes
7

6 No, can not determine

Frequency 5 the range of class size
4
without the exactly
values from data set of
3
each class size.
2

15-19 20-29 30-39 40-54

S tudents

Explain how to determine, or why you cannot determine, the range of the class sizes
that they used to create the histogram.
 Example #9

The counseling department at Glendale Community College created the following

histogram to display their class sizes.
Community College Class S izes
Can determine the 7

interval the median 9 No, can not determine

6
value would fall into 8 the exact median without
5
by find the middle the exactly values from
Frequency
7
number of data value 4 data set of the class
6
on histogram. 3 sizes.
5 12 15
The median class 2
2 4 11 14
size would lie be 1

between 20-29 1 3 10 13
students. 15-19 20-29 30-39 40-54
S tudents

Can you determine the median of the class sizes? If so, what is it? If you cannot find
the exact median, determine the narrowest interval within which you know the
median must lie.
 Relating Histograms to Box Plots

http://higheredbcs.wiley.com/legacy/college/mann/047044
4665/applets/applet_01_v4.html
 Summary

What information can you find from a box-and-

whisker plot?

What information can you find from a histogram?

What information can you find from a dot plot?