What is a histogram

A histogram is a graphical representation of the distribution of data. It is a type of bar chart that shows the frequency of occurrence of different values in a dataset. The histogram can be used to show the distribution of Continuous data, such as measurements or test scores. It can also be used to show the distribution of Discrete data, such as counts or categories.

How to read a histogram

A histogram is a graphical representation of the distribution of numerical data. It is an excellent tool for visualizing and understanding the properties of a data set, such as central tendency (mean, median, and mode), dispersion (range, variance, and standard deviation), and shape.

The vast majority of data sets are not perfectly symmetrical. Most are skewed to one side or the other. A data set is said to be left-skewed if the majority of the values are concentrated on the right side of the histogram. A data set is said to be right-skewed if the majority of the values are concentrated on the left side of the histogram.

The following histograms represent two different data sets. The first is right-skewed; the second is left-skewed.

Left skewed data

A left skewed data set is a data set where the mean is less than the median, and the median is less than the mode. This indicates that most of the data is clustered on the right side of the distribution, with a long tail on the left side.

What is left skewed data

Left-skewed data is data that has a long tail on the left side. That is, the bulk of the values are clustered on the right side of the distribution, with a few values straying off to the left. You can tell if a distribution is left-skewed if the mean is less than the median.

Here is a visual representation of left-skewed data:

How to read a left skewed data histogram

A histogram is a graphical representation of data. It shows how often each different value in a set of data occurs. A histogram can be either left-skewed, right-skewed, or symmetrical.

To determine if a histogram is left-skewed, right-skewed, or symmetrical, look at the shape of the histogram. If the histogram is skewed to the left, the mean is less than the median. If the histogram is skewed to the right, the mean is greater than the median. If the histogram is symmetrical, the mean and median are equal.

Right skewed data

A right skewed data set is a data set where the bulk of the data is located to the right of the mean. The mean is still the best measure of central tendency for a right skewed data set, but the median and mode are both shifted to the left.

What is right skewed data

Right skewed data is data that is distributed such that the mean is greater than the median and the mode. This type of data typically has a long tail to the right on a graph.

How to read a right skewed data histogram

A right skewed data histogram is one where the bulk of the data falls to the left of the peak. This type of distribution is often seen with data that represents measurements. For example, if you were to measure the height of every person in a room, you would likely see a right skewed distribution because there are likely to be more people of shorter stature than taller stature. To read a right skewed data histogram, start by finding the peak of the histogram. This is the tallest point on the graph. The bulk of the data will fall to the left of this point. The number on the x-axis next to the peak will give you the mode, or most common value, in the data set. The y-axis will tell you how many times this value occurs. You can also use the mean and median to describe a right skewed data set, but these values will be affected by outliers, or extreme values, that are present in the data set.