How to calculate class width?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for a method to calculate the class width in statistics, which pertains to the range of values contained within each class interval in a frequency distribution.
Answer
\text{Class Width} = \frac{\text{Range}}{\text{Number of Classes}}
Answer for screen readers
To calculate the class width, divide the range of the data by the number of classes.
Steps to Solve
- Determine the range of data
Find the smallest and largest values in the dataset to determine the range.
$$\text{Range} = \text{Maximum Value} - \text{Minimum Value}$$
- Choose the number of classes
Decide how many classes (or intervals) you want to divide your data into. This is often given or decided by the person analyzing the data.
- Calculate the class width
Divide the range by the number of classes to find the class width.
$$\text{Class Width} = \frac{\text{Range}}{\text{Number of Classes}}$$
If necessary, round up to a convenient number to ensure all data points are included.
To calculate the class width, divide the range of the data by the number of classes.
More Information
The class width helps in evenly spreading your data into intervals or classes, which is useful for creating histograms or frequency distributions.
Tips
A common mistake is not rounding up the class width when it results in a decimal. This can lead to data points not fitting into a class interval. Always ensure the class width fits all data points.
