JenniferSmart1 Group Title Statistics: I'm trying to find what my "bins" are. (what are bins?) I'm having trouble with solver. see attachments and comments below. one year ago one year ago

1. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

2. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

I'm trying to make a histogram and according to this link I have to have bins http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Histogram-in-Excel how would I do that? I know what my lower and upper bounds are. Are those my bins?

3. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

@hartnn @CliffSedge

4. samtab Group Title

wait but what is the whole problem?

5. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

oh I'll attach it. I completed a and b already. c is the problem child

6. helder_edwin Group Title

first did u order the inputs?

7. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

are inputs my data values? I'm kinda new to the terminology. They're in column A

8. helder_edwin Group Title

yes. sorry. then finde the difference between x_max-x_min=range

9. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

I'm not sure what my xmax and xmins are do you mean the difference between my lower and upper bounds? http://assets.openstudy.com/updates/attachments/50785d74e4b0ed1dac50e148-jennifersmart1-1350065660892-screenshot20121012at1.10.44pm.png

10. helder_edwin Group Title

from the date u r given it looks like x_max=43 and x_min=0 am i right?

11. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

the right hand side is just a random example. The values are not specific to the problem that i'm doing

12. helder_edwin Group Title

u have a set of 55 numbers. right?

13. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

sorry i lost internet connection

14. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

yep it's 55 numbers

15. helder_edwin Group Title

well the idea is that class range is x_max-x-min divided by the number of classes.

16. helder_edwin Group Title

u get a class with equal to $\large \frac{43-0}{8}=5.375$

17. helder_edwin Group Title

can be rounded up to 5.4

18. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

so let's say 5

19. helder_edwin Group Title

do u have to have integer class limits?

20. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

5.4 works too by classes do you mean the...what do we mean by class

21. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

I'm honestly not sure

22. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

it's just intro to stats and it's algebra based. I don't think they want us to do anything too fancy.

23. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

this is what I had done manually

24. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

I just followed an example in the book

25. helder_edwin Group Title

it s great

26. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

but how do I make a histogram though that's where I'm having trouble

27. helder_edwin Group Title

by hand or with the computer

28. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

I'm trying to use excel

29. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

@hartnn

30. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

and what are bins?

31. helder_edwin Group Title

i don't know?

32. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

I tried using this website but I can't really follow it http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Histogram-in-Excel

33. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

@satellite73

34. helder_edwin Group Title

have u tried using excel's help?

35. hartnn Group Title

bins are just ranges of x-axis, like to construct a histogram from a continuous variable you first need to split the data into intervals, called bins. so here your bins are 0-5.5, 5.5-11.5....... and u have 8 bins in total

36. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

so my bins would be my class boundaries. I labeled the upper and lower bounds

37. JenniferSmart1 Group Title
38. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

" if you want to separate grades based on a 10 point scale 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 would be the bins" So I guess I'm using a 5 point scale and my bins would be....0, 5.5, 11.5...no?

39. hartnn Group Title

your bins does not have equal size....

40. hartnn Group Title

0-5.5 --->5.5 5.5-11.5--->6 all others are 6

41. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

I don't know anymore. I thought they have to be separated by 5...ooops I thought I had them spaced equally :S

42. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

should I have them 5 sizes apart or six?

43. hartnn Group Title

where is the original question ? is it above 'Excel 2007' ??

44. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

5th box from the top

45. hartnn Group Title

the one with min=20.5 and max<30.5 ??

46. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

"oh I'll attach it. I completed a and b already. c is the problem child"

47. hartnn Group Title

and n=9 , whats n?

48. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

that one I can attach it again

49. JenniferSmart1 Group Title
50. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

why is n=9 where is n?

51. hartnn Group Title

i am going though it, so u have 8 classes. how did u find class width ?

52. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

$\frac{\text{Largest data value-smallest data value}}{\text{Desired number of classes}}$

53. hartnn Group Title

0 to 43 = 44 so 44/8 = 5.5 like this ?

54. hartnn Group Title

ok

55. hartnn Group Title

so the bins are : 0/5.5 5.5 -11 11=16.5 and so on

56. hartnn Group Title

0-5.5*

57. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

43/8=5.375 so I rounded it ...yes that's what I did...

58. hartnn Group Title

so u need to change your bins to 0-5.5, 5.5-11 , and so on..

59. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

is a bin a range or a specific number? From the way they've written it's kinda confusing "if you want to separate grades based on a 10 point scale 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 would be the bins"

60. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

wikihow could be wrong though

61. hartnn Group Title

a bin is an interval : 1st bin: 0-5.5 2nd bin: 5.5-11 so bin is range

62. hartnn Group Title

bin is not a number bin size or width is a number = class width

63. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

ok so how do we proceed...the data analysis toolbox is confusing, I don't even know where to start http://assets.openstudy.com/updates/attachments/50785d74e4b0ed1dac50e148-jennifersmart1-1350065660892-screenshot20121012at1.10.44pm.png

64. hartnn Group Title

but u need to change bins , right to 0-5.5, 5.5-11 , 11-16.5 , and so on

65. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

sure I will...then what's next

66. hartnn Group Title

my excel doesn't even have data analysis button

67. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

is there another way to make the histogram?

68. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

I honestly don't know. I'm just googling histogram and excel because i've never done this before in excel

69. hartnn Group Title

what popped up when u selected data analysis ?

70. hartnn Group Title

was there an option of histogram ?

71. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

that "solver" window It reads "solver parameter" in the attachment

72. hartnn Group Title

strange, u shouldn't get solver window ....... u should get options like input range, bin range... http://www.math.kent.edu/~honli/teaching/statistics/Chapter2/Excell_Histogram.html

73. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

sorry I lost internet connection...but I'm back

74. hartnn Group Title

75. hartnn Group Title

i don't know where u clicked, but u should get that^ when u click data analysis tab

76. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

I guess I don't have that

77. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

solver is a different add on. I guess I have to find this correct one. For whatever reason the mac 2011 version doesn't have that

78. hartnn Group Title

then u need to install the add-in : Analysis Toolpack

79. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

80. hartnn Group Title

idk anything about MAC. try to Find 'Excel Options' and there u get Add-in tab, which has Analysis Toolbox option. maybe its will be in the dropdown list of settings besides ^ on upper right....

81. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

I just need to follow the instructions in the above attachment. (two boxes up) which I don't seem to be able to do

82. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

that screenshot above is of the statplus instructions

83. hartnn Group Title

try this reference http://support.microsoft.com/kb/914208

84. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

I think I have what I need. I just need to be able to follow the instructions I guess

85. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

I'm starting to hate this MAC....(not really ;P , but it's really annoying because everything is soo different)

86. JenniferSmart1 Group Title

oh my god look at that!