Cumulative Frequency

Definitions
Consider the following table of frequencies:

𝒙 Frequency For example:

Test Score (%) The 2 tells us that 2 people scored between 0% and 10%
0 < 𝑥 ≤ 10 2 The 8 tells us that 8 people scored between 10% and 30%
10 < 𝑥 ≤ 30 8 The 3 tells us that 3 people scored between 30% and 60%
30 < 𝑥 ≤ 60 3 The 5 tells us that 5 people scored between 60% and 70%
60 < 𝑥 ≤ 70 5

If given the table above of frequencies, we can find the cumulative frequency (𝒄𝒇). Cumulative frequency is just the running total of all the
frequencies.
𝒙 Cumulative
Test Score (%) Frequency For example:
0 < 𝑥 ≤ 10 2 The 2 tells us that 2 people scored below 10%
(copy the first frequency) The 10 tells us that 10 people scored below 30%
0 < 𝑥 ≤ 30 2 + 8 = 10 The 13 tells us that 13 people scored below 60%
0 < 𝑥 ≤ 60 10 + 3 =13 The 18 tells us that 18 people scored below 70%
0 < 𝑥 ≤ 70 13 + 5 = 18
(this is the total number)
Take note of:
• Always starting from zero in the table for the lower boundary (it is a running total, so we start from the beginning each time)
• The upper-class boundaries which are 10, 30, 60 and 70 (this will be useful for when we graph a cumulative frequency curve)

We can also find the relative cumulative frequencies which tell us the percentage of the total. Relative frequencies are very rarely used
though.
𝒙 Relative Cumulative
Test Score (%) Frequency
0 < 𝑥 ≤ 10 2 For example:
= 0.11
18 The 0.11 tells us that 11% of people scored below 10%
0 < 𝑥 ≤ 30 10 The 0.56 tells us that 56% of people scored below 60%
= 0.56
18 The 0.72 tells us that 72% of people scored below 60%
0 < 𝑥 ≤ 60 13 The 1 tells us that 100% of people scored below 70%
= 0.72
18
0 < 𝑥 ≤ 70 18
=1
10

How To Draw A Cumulative Frequency Curve

We plot the upper boundary on the 𝑥 axis and cumulative frequency (or the relative cumulative frequency) on the 𝑦 axis.
Connect the points to product a smooth curve, do not use a ruler to produce straight lines!

For example:

𝒙 Frequency Frequency Cumulative Hence we

becomes (f) Frequency plot the
(f) gives the graph
0 < 𝑥 ≤ 10
10 < 𝑥 ≤ 30
2
8
⟹ 2 copy
(cf)
2
point
(10,2)
⟹
30 < 𝑥 ≤ 60 3 8 10 (30,12)
60 < 𝑥 ≤ 70 5 3 13 (60,13)
5 18 (70,18)

The highest 𝑦 value on the graph is the total number

which is 18
 Cumulative Frequency

Don’t worry if the next 3 sections below do not make sense. They are just a brief summary. There are 2 examples after which makes
everything very clear (you may wish to go straight to this section as doing the examples is where the understanding of how to do
cumulative frequency comes from). It is a very easy topic!

Interpreting A Cumulative Frequency Graph

These talk about percentages since the relative frequency is on the y axis

Performing Quartile Calculations – Median, Upper and Lower Quartile

Median: Lower Quartile: Upper Quartile:

! ! $!
Locate " on the 𝑦 axis and go across to Locate # on the 𝑦 axis and go across Locate on the 𝑦 axis and go across to the
#
the curve and down to find the to the curve and down to find the curve and down to find the corresponding
corresponding value on the 𝑥 axis corresponding value on the 𝑥 axis value on the 𝑥 axis

! ! $! !%& !%& $(!%&)

Remember: We always use " , # or NEVER , or for the quartiles!!!
# " # #

! ! $!
Don’t make the common mistake of thinking , or are not your answers, you need to go and find the corresponding value
" # #
on the 𝑥 axis!

Performing Quartile Calculations – How Many?

Locate the value on the 𝑥 axis and go up to the curve and across to find the corresponding value on the 𝑦 axis (since the y axis
tells us how many)

Less than 𝑥 More than 𝑥 Between 2 given 𝑥 values

)!*+,-
If want any answers as a percentage: × 100
!
 Cumulative Frequency

Examples
Example 1:
1) The following is a cumulative frequency diagram for the time 𝑡, in minutes, taken by 80 students to complete a task

Number of
Time (minutes)
students
0 ≤ 𝑡 < 10

10 ≤ 𝑡 < 15

15 ≤ 𝑡 < 30

30 ≤ 𝑡 < 40

40 ≤ 𝑡 < 60

i. Find an estimate for the median

ii. Find an estimate for the lower quartile
iii. Find an estimate for the upper quartile
iv. Find the number of students who completed the task in less than 30 minutes
v. Find the number of students who completed the task in more than 40 minutes
vi. Find the number of students who took between 25 and 35 minutes to complete the task
vii. Given that 45 students took less than 𝑘 minutes to complete the task, find the value of 𝑘.
viii. Complete the frequency table
First you must know that
/0/)1 !234,- !
• Median = ="
"
/0/)1 !234,- !
• Lower Quartile = =
# #
$×/0/)1 !234,- $!
• Upper Quartile= =
$ #
i. ii. iii. iv.
n 80 𝑛 80 3𝑛 3(80)
Median = = = 40 LQ = = 20 UQ = = = 60
2 2 4 4 4 4 IQR = UQ − LQ

Go to the graph on the next page Go to the graph on the next page Go to the graph on the next page = 34 − 21

Locate the 40th value on the y 𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐬 Locate the 15th value on the y 𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐬 Locate the 45th value on the y 𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐬 = 13
(y axis since that is the number) (y axis since that is the number) (y axis since that is the number)

Find the corresponding 𝑥 Find the corresponding 𝑥 Find the corresponding 𝑥

(go across and down) (go across and down) (go across and down)

median = 28 minutes LQ = 21 minutes UQ = 34 minutes

v. vi. vii. viii.
Go to the graph on the next page Go to the graph on the next page Go to the graph on the next page
Go to the graph on the next page
Locate 40 on the 𝒙 axis Locate 25 and 35 on the 𝒙 axis Locate 45 on the 𝒚 axis
Locate 30 on the 𝒙 axis (x axis since that is the time)
(x axis since that is the time) Find the corresponding 𝑦′𝑠 Find the corresponding 𝑥
Find the corresponding 𝑦
Find the corresponding 𝑦 (go up and across) 62 − 30 = 32 students 𝑘 = 29 mins
(go up and across)
70 students
50 students
This means less than 40 mins though.
We want more than 40 mins, so we
subtract from the total
80 − 70 = 10 students
 Cumulative Frequency

Graph for questions i.-iv. Graph for questions v.-vii. Graph for question viii.

viii.
Locate the times on the 𝑥 axis using the upper boundaries and find the corresponding cumulative frequencies

Number of Number of
Time (minutes) 𝑐𝑓 Time (minutes) Time (minutes)
build the Students simplify Students
0 ≤ 𝑡 < 10 5 frequency
0 ≤ 𝑡 < 10 5 the 0 ≤ 𝑡 < 10 5
column numbers
10 ≤ 𝑡 < 15
15 ≤ 𝑡 < 30
10
50
⟹ 10 ≤ 𝑡 < 15
15 ≤ 𝑡 < 30
10 − 5 =
50 − 10 = 40
⟹ 10 ≤ 𝑡 < 15

15 ≤ 𝑡 < 30
5

40
30 ≤ 𝑡 < 40 70 30 ≤ 𝑡 < 40 70 − 50 = 20 30 ≤ 𝑡 < 40 20
40 ≤ 𝑡 < 60 80 40 ≤ 𝑡 < 60 80 − 70 = 10 40 ≤ 𝑡 < 60 10
 Cumulative Frequency

Example 2: The cumulative frequency graph shows information about the length, in minutes of 80 films

i. How many films are there in total?

ii. Find an estimate for the median
iii. Find an estimate for the interquartile range
iv. How many films lasted less than 130 mins
v. How many films more than 120 mins
vi. Find an estimate for the percentage of the 80 films that lasted more than 125 minutes
vii. Find the number of films who took between 100 and 110 minutes to complete the task
viii. Given that 40 students took less than 𝑘 minutes to complete the task, find the value of 𝑘.

i. ii. iii iv.

80 80 Locate 130 on the 𝒙 axis
Median = = 40 LQ = = 20
80 films 2 4
Locate the 20th value on the y axis Find the corresponding 𝑦
Locate the 40th value on the y 𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐬 Find the corresponding 𝑥
LQ = 111 72 films
Find the corresponding 𝑥
3(80)
UQ = = 60
median = 117.5 minutes 4
Locate the 60th value on the y axis
Find the corresponding 𝑥
UQ = 124

IQR = UQ − LQ
= 124 − 111
= 13 minutes
v. vi. vii. viii.
Locate 120 on the 𝒙 axis Locate 125 on the 𝑥 axis Locate 100 and 110 on the 𝒙 axis Locate 40 on the 𝒚 axis

Find the corresponding 𝑦 Find the corresponding 𝑦 Find the corresponding 𝑦′𝑠 Find the corresponding 𝑥

48 films 63 films 18 − 5 = 13 films 𝑘 = 123 mins

This means less than 120 mins
though. We want more than 120 6789$ &:
67
= 67 × 100 = 21.2% of films
mins so we subtract from the total
80 − 48 = 32 films
Cumulative Frequency

Graph for questions i.-iii. Graph for questions iv.-viii.