STAT 2010 Lab
Frequency Graphs
Histogram
1. Steps to create histogram
Step 1: open Excel, identify the column of your targeted variable
Step 2:
Step 3: Right Screen of your Excel: PivotTable Field List

Choose fields to add to report: click the box in front of the variable

Drag the variable into Row Labels
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Drag the variable into ∑ Values (if not already there)
Step 4: Now you should have two columns


Right click the title of the 2nd column: summarize value by count
Group the variable only when it is a grouped frequency chart; not a standard frequency chart
o
Right click 1st interval in the 1st column: group: starting at: Min number, ending at: Max
number; By: Interval width = (Max-Min+1)/ intervals
o
Usually choose 7-10 intervals

Intervals with frequency counts of “0” will not be automatically shown. To include these intervals
(if necessary):
o
Right click the first value under the 1st column title
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Click on “Field settings”
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Click on “Layout and print” tab
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Check box “Show items with no data”
o
Right click on a cell in the Pivot Table
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Click on “Pivot table options”
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Click on “Layout and format” tab
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Enter “0” in the “For empty cells” field
o
Highlight and right click on the first and last interval with frequency counts of “0”

Click on “Filter”

Click on “Hide selected”
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STAT 2010 Lab
Frequency Graphs
Step 5: Click the first line of the table, you will see “Pivot Table Tools” (sometimes “Analysis”) in the
overhead tabs at the very top of the screen:
 PivotChart – Column – Clustered column
Step 6: Now you have the histogram

How to change the gap width?
o

Double click the bar:
How to add Axis Titles:
o

Design – Add Chart Element- Axis Title – Primarily Horizontal/Vertical
Calculate the midpoint by the formula given in class (Lower bound + next lower bound)/2
o


Replace the midpoint in the Interval Column
Delete the legend: Design – Add Chart Element- Legend – None
Delete the Gridlines : Design – Add Chart Element- Gridlines – More Gridlines Option-No line
2. Components of a histogram [Double check your histogram to match all the requirements]

Label both X and Y axes

Use midpoint to represent interval
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No gap between each bar

A title for the graph
Frequency polygons
If you already have the histogram
1. Right click your histogram: Design – Change Chart Type – Lines with markers (4th)
2. If you have population data; then you need to include an interval with a frequency count of “0” before
your first interval and after your last interval to connect the line to the x-axis (NOTE: this step assumes you
hid the first and last interval when creating a grouped frequency table)
a. Right click on the first interval
i. Click on “Filter”
ii. Click on “Clear filter from [variable name]”
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