1. What is Relative Frequency?

Relative frequency is a statistical measure that shows the proportion or percentage of times a particular event occurs relative to the total number of observations. It provides a normalized way to compare frequencies across different datasets.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the relative frequency formula:

Where:

• \( \text{Frequency} \) — Number of times the event occurs
• \( \text{Total Observations} \) — Total number of observations in the dataset

Explanation: The formula calculates the proportion of occurrences by dividing the frequency count by the total number of observations, providing a value between 0 and 1 (or 0% to 100% when expressed as percentage).

3. Importance of Relative Frequency

Details: Relative frequency is essential in statistics for comparing datasets of different sizes, creating probability distributions, and understanding the likelihood of events in sample data. It forms the basis for empirical probability and is widely used in data analysis and research.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the frequency (count of occurrences) and total observations (sample size). Both values must be positive integers, and frequency cannot exceed total observations. The calculator provides results in both decimal and percentage formats.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the difference between frequency and relative frequency?
A: Frequency is the raw count of occurrences, while relative frequency is the proportion of occurrences relative to the total sample size, making it comparable across different datasets.

Q2: Can relative frequency be greater than 1?
A: No, relative frequency ranges from 0 to 1 (or 0% to 100%), where 0 means the event never occurs and 1 means it always occurs.

Q3: How is relative frequency related to probability?
A: Relative frequency serves as an empirical estimate of probability. As sample size increases, relative frequency approaches the theoretical probability of an event.

Q4: When should I use relative frequency instead of absolute frequency?
A: Use relative frequency when comparing datasets of different sizes or when you need to understand the proportion of occurrences rather than just the count.

Q5: Can relative frequency be used for categorical data?
A: Yes, relative frequency is particularly useful for categorical data to understand the distribution of categories within a dataset.