Relative Frequency Formula

Relative frequency formula

The term relative refers to an event which is being considered in comparison to something else. The term frequency refers to how frequently an event occurs. 

Relative frequency is a method which is used to measure, how frequent an event does occur with reference to total occurrences. 

Relative frequency formula- in mathematics relative frequency is defined as, the number of occurrences of an event divided by total occurrences in a given reference. 

To calculate relative frequency, the things that should be known beforehand are, 

Number of total events or trials

The number of frequencies for a category or a subgroup

Relative frequency = (frequency of a subgroup) / (total frequency) 

So, relative frequency = (f / n) 

f = frequency of a subgroup

n = total frequency

Solved example:

Question 1: A die is tossed 30 times and it gives the number 6 for five times, then what is the relative frequency of observing the die giving the number 6?

Answer:

The number die is tossed is = 30

So, the number of total occurrences of an event is 30.

Number of successful trials or getting the number 6 is 5.

So, the number of trials or a subgroup is 5.

By the formula we know that, 

Relative frequency = (numbers of Successful events / total number of occurrences of an event)

= f / n

= 5 / 30

= 1 / 6

= 1 / 6 * 100 percent

= 16.66 percent

So, the relative frequency of the die of giving number six is 16.66 percent. 

Question 2: Anita has a bag containing 20 candies. But she prefers having yellow and red candies. The frequency of selecting yellow candies is 6, the frequency of selecting red candies is 6, the frequency of selecting green candies is 3 and frequency of selecting brown candies is 5. Then A) what is the relative frequency of the picked candies being her favourite ones, and B) what is the relative frequency of picking up brown candies?

Answer: 

By the formula, we know that, relative frequency = (number of occurrence of a chosen event) / (number of total trials) 

A) so, the relative frequency of her chosen candies being her preferred ones is, = (frequency of red candies + frequency of yellow candies) / 20

= 12 / 20

= 60 percent

B) relative frequency of choosing the brown candies is, 

= (frequency of choosing brown candies) / 20

= 5 / 20

= 25 percent

Important Maths Formulas: