Question

multiple choice question
which of the following is a feature of a relative frequency distribution?
the sum of the relative frequencies must be one (assuming no rounding errors).
individual relative frequencies must be between -1 and +1.
relative frequencies are found by dividing the total number of observations by the class frequencies.
the sum of the relative frequencies is equal to the total number of observations.

Explanation:

• Relative frequency for a class is calculated as $\frac{\text{class frequency}}{\text{total number of observations}}$, so individual values are between 0 and 1, not -1 and 1.
• The sum of all relative frequencies represents the proportion of all observations, which equals 1 (with no rounding errors).
• The sum of absolute frequencies, not relative frequencies, equals the total number of observations.
• The calculation of relative frequency is the reverse of dividing total observations by class frequencies.

Answer:

The sum of the relative frequencies must be one (assuming no rounding errors).