Question

Explain the difference between

a. frequency and relative frequency.

b. percentage and relative frequency.

Short answer

1. Frequency refers to the number of observations that fall into a given category. Relative frequency is the percentage of a class given as a decimal.
2. The value is calculated by dividing the class's frequency by the total number of observations and multiplying the result by 100. It's a proportion. Relative frequency is the percentage of a class given as a decimal.

Step-by-step solution

Part (a) Step 1: Given Information

We have to distinguish the frequency and relative frequency.

Part (a) Step 2 Explanation

The distinction between frequency and relative frequency can be easily defined as follows: frequency uses the actual values of each class in a statistical data set, whereas relative frequency compares these individual values to the overall totals of all classes in the data set.

Part (b) Step 1 Given Information

We have to distinguish percentage and relative frequency.

Part (b) Step 2 Explanation

To calculate relative frequencies, divide each frequency by the total number of students in the sample. Relative frequencies can be expressed using fractions, percents, or decimals.