In creating a frequency distribution table, which of the following statement is not a basic rule to follow?
a) Choose classes that cover the smallest and largest values.
b) Make certain that each item can go into only one class.
c) As a general rule, use between 10 and 15 classes.
d) Do not produce gaps between classes.
To determine which statement is not a basic rule to follow when creating a frequency distribution table, let's analyze each statement:
a) Choose classes that cover the smallest and largest values.
This statement is a basic rule in creating a frequency distribution table. It suggests that the classes should span the entire range of the dataset to ensure no values are left out.
b) Make certain that each item can go into only one class.
This statement is also a basic rule in creating a frequency distribution table. Each item in the dataset should be categorized into one and only one class to avoid counting it multiple times or excluding it entirely.
c) As a general rule, use between 10 and 15 classes.
This statement is a basic rule, and it provides guidance on the number of classes to select. Using too few classes may oversimplify the distribution, while using too many can make it difficult to interpret the data accurately. Therefore, it is generally recommended to use between 10 and 15 classes.
d) Do not produce gaps between classes.
This statement is NOT a basic rule to follow in creating a frequency distribution table. While it is preferable to have continuous classes without gaps, in certain situations, creating gaps can be useful. For example, when dealing with qualitative or categorical data, gaps can represent separate categories that do not have any values. So, this statement is not universally true.
Therefore, the answer is d) Do not produce gaps between classes.