Calculating Relative Frequency: A Step-by-Step Guide to Determining Event Probability

relative frequency

Relative frequency, also known as empirical probability, is a ratio that compares the frequency of an event to the total number of observations or trials

Relative frequency, also known as empirical probability, is a ratio that compares the frequency of an event to the total number of observations or trials. It is a way to determine the likelihood or probability of an event occurring in a specific situation.

To calculate the relative frequency, you need to follow these steps:

1. Collect data: Gather the data for the events you want to analyze. For example, let’s say you are interested in analyzing the outcomes of rolling a fair six-sided die.

2. Determine the frequency: Count the number of times each event occurred. For example, if you rolled the die 20 times and obtained the following results – 1 twice, 2 six times, 3 three times, 4 four times, 5 three times, and 6 twice – the frequencies would be 2, 6, 3, 4, 3, and 2, respectively.

3. Calculate the total number of observations: Sum up all the frequencies to determine the total number of observations. In our example, the sum of the frequencies is 2 + 6 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 2 = 20. Therefore, there were 20 total observations or trials.

4. Calculate the relative frequency: Divide the frequency of each event by the total number of observations. In our example, the relative frequency of rolling a 1 would be 2/20 = 0.1, the relative frequency of rolling a 2 would be 6/20 = 0.3, and so on.

5. Interpret the relative frequency: The relative frequency represents the probability of an event occurring in the given data set. It is expressed as a decimal or a percentage. For example, the relative frequency of rolling a 1 in our example is 0.1 or 10%.

It is important to note that as the number of observations increases, the relative frequency tends to converge towards the theoretical probability of the event.

More Answers: