# How do you create a histogram?

Jun 7, 2015

In short, these are the steps:

1) Reorder your data set from lowest to highest (use the Data Sort command in your spreadsheet software).

2) Look at the minimum and maximum data points and determine the data range.

3) Split the data range into a convenient number of equal intervals (for example, a data range of 48 can be split into 6 intervals with an interval step of 8 or into 8 intervals with an interval step of 6).

4) Build a frequency table for the intervals defined at step 3. (Count the frequencies, i.e. the number of data points within each interval and write them in a table).

5) Create a column chart having the data intervals on the x-axis and the frequencies on the y-axis. (Use the provided command in your spreadsheet software).

For a practical example, have a look at this Google Sheet document that contains three sheets (raw data set, ordered data set and frequency table with histogram).

P.S. This question was answered many times on Socratic:

http://socratic.org/questions/how-do-you-construct-a-histogram-using-the-data-12-13-21-27-33-34-35-37-40-40-41151166

http://socratic.org/questions/how-do-you-create-a-histogram-from-a-frequency-table150009