DATA INTERPRETATION

IMPORTANT FACTS AND FORMULAE

1. Frequency: In statistics the frequency (or absolute frequency) of an event is the

number of times the event occurred in an experiment or study. For example, if
ten students score 80 in statistics, then the score of 80 has a frequency of 10.
These frequencies are often graphically represented in histograms also can be
represented by any graph and chart method.

EXAMPLES

1. Tabular Method:
(CSS-2016)

A distribution company provides household to departmental stores within a 50

kilometer radius. The table below shows how far each departmental store is from the
godown of the distribution company.

DISTANCE FROM THE GODOWN OF THE NUMBER OF STORES

DISTRIBUTION COMPANY

10 km or less 03

11 to 20 km 15

21 to 30 km 26

31 to 40 km 20

41 to 50 km 16

i. How many stores does the distribution company serve?

ii. What is the most common distance of stores from the company’s
godown?

iii. How many stores are 35 km or more from the godown?

iv. What percentage of stores are 31 km or more from the godown?

2. Define a Histogram. How is it constructed? What information may be deduced

from it (CSS-2018)

Histogram
A histogram is a type of graph that is widely used in mathematics, especially in
statistics. The histogram represents the frequency of occurrence of specific
phenomena which lie within a specific range of values, which are arranged in
consecutive and fixed intervals. The frequency of the data occurrence is represented by
a bar, hence it looks very much like a bar graph.

Construction: To construct a histogram from a continuous variable you first need to

split the data into intervals, called bins or class boundaries. e.g data has to be split into
x − xmin
l = max
n bins, so length of each bin is n . Then construct class boundaries in
tabulated form. Each class boundary contains the number of occurrence of scores
(frequency) in the data set that are contained within that bin. Then present the tabulated
data in graph consists of a set of adjacent rectangles whose bases are marked off by
class boundaries (not class limits) on the X-axis and whose heights are proportional to
the frequencies associated with respective classes. This is one of the most important
graphical representation of a frequency distribution. When the class-intervals are
equal, the rectangles all have the same width and their heights directly represent the
class frequencies, that is they are numerically proportional to the frequencies in the
respective classes. However, histogram for unequal class interval can also be
constructed.

For example:

AGE 36 25 38 46 55 68 72 55 36 38 67 45 22 48
91 46 52 61 58 55

First age has been split into 8 bins, here min value is 22 and max value is 91 so length
100 − 20
l= = 10
8

Class Interval Class Boundary Tally Frequency

21 − 30 20.5 − 30.5 … 2

… … … …

Note: Unlike a bar chart, there are no “gaps” between the bars.

3. (a) Differentiate with examples between a “Pictogram” and “Histogram”.

(CSS-2017)

Pictogram:

A pictogram is a type of chart for portraying the statistical data by means of pictures or
small symbols. Each picture or symbol may represent one or more units of the data. The
symbols or pictures to be used, must be simple and clear. A pictogram is virtually a bar
chart constructed in pictorial way as the number of symbols or pictures corresponds to
the length of a bar.

You can use a pictogram whenever you want to make simple data more visually
interesting, more memorable, or more engaging e.g. use a pictogram to show ratings or
scores. i.e.

Example1: The following table shows the number of computers sold by a company for
the months January to March. Construct a pictograph for the table.

Month January February March

Number of 25 35 20
Computers

Solution:

January

February

March

Example2: The following pictograph shows the number of students using the various
types of transport to go to school.

Walking

Bus

Bicycle

Car

I. How many students go to school by car?

 II. If the total number of students involved in the survey is 56 how many
symbols must be drawn for the students walking to school?

III. What is the percentage of students who cycle to school?

4. The teachers of a certain school were asked to indicate the average number of
hours they spend on marking students assignments each day. The following set
of data was obtained CSS-2017

6 4 3 1 2 2 3 1 4

1 2 5 3 4 5 2 2 3

3 1 2 2 3 1 4 2

Construct a frequency table and draw a Histogram illustrating the results.

(c) How many teachers responded to the survey?

(d) What the longest number of hours and most common number of hours are
spent?

5. The breakdown of average monthly expenditure for a family is given in the

following (CSS-2018)

Figure:

i. Calculate from the figure what percentage of the family’s expenditure is

on ‘other’?

ii. Approximately what fraction of the family’s monthly

expenditure do ‘utilities’, ‘rent’ and ‘food’ represent?

iii. If the family spends Rs. 11600 on utilities, how much

is the family’s total expenditure?

iv. ‘Other’ expenditure comprises savings, entertainment

and luxury items, which are spent in the ratio 3 : 4 :1.

Calculate how much the family saves each month

if monthly income is Rs. 24, 000.

 6. The Plan of an Apartment is given below:

i. The Total area of the apartment is

a. 640 Sqft b. 720 Sqft c. 680 Sqft

d. 840 Sqft e. None of the above.

ii. The area of L shaped dining space cum

entrance is

a. 80 Sqft b. 90 Sqft c. 980 Sqft

d. 100 Sqft e. None of the above.

iii. What fraction of the area of the hall is the kitchen?

1 3 5 3
a. 8 b. 8 c. 8 d. 4 e. None of the
above.

iv. What percentage of the area of the bedroom in the balcony?

a. 15% b. 25% c. 30% d. 20% e. None of the

above.

v. The area of the kitchen is ‘n’ times the area of the balcony. Hence ‘n’ is
(FPSC-2004)

1 1 1 1
1 2 3 4
a. 2 b. 2 c. 2 d. 2 e. None of the
above.

7. Line Graph: Study the following line graph and answer the questions.

Exports from Three Companies Over the Years (in Rs. Crore)
i. For which of the following pairs of years the total exports from the three
Companies

a. 1995 and 1998 b. 1996 and 1998 c. 1997 and 1998

d. 1995 and 1996

ii. Average annual exports during the given period for Company Y is
approximately what percent of the average annual exports for company
Z?

a. 87.12% b. 89.64% c. 91.21% d.

93.33%

iii. In which year was the difference between the exports from Companies X
and Y the minimum?

a. 1994 b. 1995 c. 1996 d. 1997

iv. What was the difference between the average exports of the three
Companies in 1993 and the average exports in 1998?

a. Rs. 15.33 Crores b. Rs. 18.67 Crores

b. Rs. 20 Crores d. Rs. 22.17 Crores

v. In how many of the given years, were the exports from Company Z more
than the average annual exports over the given years?
 a. 2 b. 3 c. 4 d. 5

8. Multiple Bar Chart

The bar graph given below shows the sales of books (in thousand number) from six
branches of a publishing company during two consecutive years 2000 and 2001.

B1 , B2 , B3 , B4 , B5 B6
Sales of Books (in thousand numbers) from Six Branches and of
a publishing Company in 2000 and 2001.

B2
i. What is the ratio of the total sales of branches for both years to the
B
total sales of branch 4 for both years?

a. 2 : 3 b. 3 : 5 c. 4 : 5 d. 7 : 9

B
ii. Total sales of branch 6 for both the years is what percent of the total
B
sales of branches 3 for both the years?
 a. 68.54% b. 71.11% c. 73.17% d. 75.55%

B ,B B
iii. What percent of the average sales of branches 1 2 and 3 in 2001 is
B ,B B
the average sales of branches 1 3 and 6 in 2000?

a. 75% b. 77.5% c. 82.5% d. 87.5%

iv. What is the average sales of all the branches (in thousand numbers) for
the year 2000?

a. 78 b. 80 c. 83 d. 88

B1 , B3 B5
v. Total sales of branches and together for both the years (in
thousand numbers) is ?

a. 250 b. 310 c. 435 d. 560