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Understanding Histogram Types and Characteristics

Aug 30, 2024

Histogram Characteristics

Types of Histograms

  • Symmetric Histograms

    • Can be perfectly symmetric or approximately symmetric.
    • In practice, often deal with approximately symmetric histograms.
    • Example: Both sides of the middle are similar enough to be considered approximately symmetric.
  • Skewed Histograms

    • Skewed to the Right

      • Long tail on the right side.
      • Example: Income distribution where most are in a cluster, but high-income outliers skew the average to the right.
    • Skewed to the Left

      • Long tail on the left side.
      • Example: Sleep duration distribution where most people sleep between 5-8 hours, but low extreme outliers skew the average to the left.

Modal Histograms

  • Unimodal

    • Only one peak.
    • Often follows a normal distribution or bell curve.
    • This type is commonly used in data analysis.
  • Bimodal

    • Two distinct peaks.
    • Requires clear evidence of two peaks to be classified as bimodal.

Application

  • These terms help describe and analyze histograms effectively.
  • They will also be used in understanding other plots, like stem-and-leaf plots.