A frequency polygon is used to compare data sets or display the distribution of data. A line graph is used to represent the quantitative data in a polygon shape. As statistics deals with the collection of data, tables, pie charts, bar graphs, and histograms are also used for pictorial representation of data.
A frequency polygon is useful while comparing two data sets as the graph showcases cumulative frequency distribution in a polygon shape. The visual representation depicts the shape, trend, and occurrence of class intervals.
Constructing a Frequency Polygon
The curve of the polygon shape is drawn on the x-axis and y-axis. The x-axis has the value of the data, and the y-axis represents the number of occurrences of each data set. The mid-point or the class interval is crucial in a frequency polygon graph. Frequency polygon can be drawn without drawing a histogram because we will only need the mid-points of the rectangular bars. The mid-points of the rectangular bars are joined to get the polygon shape.
Steps to Construct a Frequency Polygon
- Step 1: First, you need to mark the class intervals on the x-axis for each individual class. Simultaneously, plot the curve on the y-axis.
- Step 2: The class marks or the mid-points of each class interval are calculated.
- Step 3: After obtaining the classmarks, mark them individually on the x-axis.
- Step 4: The height of the graph depicts the frequency of each interval. The frequency is plotted according to the class mark. It should not be plotted against the upper or lower limit.
- Step 5: After the points are marked in the graph, join the marks with line segments to form a curve.
- Step 6: The curve obtained after joining the points is in the shape of a polygon.
Creating a Frequency Polygon in Excel
Excel is a convenient tool to create a frequency polygon. Here are the steps to create a polygon in Excel.
- Determine the classes in the data and define the upper and lower limit by arranging them in a column.
- Find the midpoint of each class and calculate the frequency for each class.
- Include the first and last class with zero frequencies to ensure that you form a polygon.
- Highlight the column of midpoints and frequencies.
- Go to Insert > Charts > Insert Scatter > Scatter with Straight Lines to create a polygon in Excel.
Finding the Midpoint of the Frequency Polygon
Calculating the midpoint of the class interval is essential to construct the frequency polygon. While plotting the frequency polygon, you need to know the following formula:
Class Mark (Midpoint) = (Upper limit of the class interval + Lower limit of the class interval) / 2
Difference Between Frequency Polygon and Histogram
There is always a massive confusion between a frequency polygon and a histogram. Even though a frequency polygon and histogram are quite similar, the two graphs are different from each other. The graphs have their unique properties, and the difference can be seen visually.
Frequency Polygon | Histogram |
The curve is in polygon shape and is depicted by a line segment. | A Histogram is a graph that is represented visually defined by rectangular bars with no spaces between them. |
The midpoint of the frequencies is used in the frequency polygon graph. | The frequencies are spread evenly through the class intervals in a histogram. |
The midpoints are marked accurately and are used to represent the data of a particular class interval. | Only the quantity of the data can be known from the height of the rectangular bars. |
A frequency polygon is visually more accurate during data comparison. | There is a visual margin of error in a histogram as the comparison of data is not visually appealing. |
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Conclusion
A frequency polygon simplifies the way we look at data. It fulfills the key objective of statistics by presenting the data in a recognizable form. The visual form of frequency polygons makes it easy to understand complex data in one glance.