Relative frequency
The Maths Habit Handout to print
Drop a drawing pin 100 times.
How many times does it land point up?
You have to try it to find out
- Trial
- One go at an experiment.
- Relative frequency
- How often something happened, as a fraction of all the trials.
| Outcome | Heads | Tails | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 14 | 6 | 20 |
A coin lands on tails 21 times out of 50.
What is the relative frequency of heads?
A dice is rolled 40 times. Estimate the number of sixes in 200 rolls.
| Outcome | Six | Not six | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 8 | 32 | 40 |
A coin is thrown 50 times. Estimate the number of tails in 300 throws.
| Outcome | Heads | Tails | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 29 | 21 | 50 |
| Outcome | Red | Blue | Green | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 14 | 21 | 15 | 50 |
(a) relative frequency of blue 0.42
(b) estimate for 300 spins 126
| Outcome | Win | Draw | Lose | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 12 | 8 | 20 | 40 |
(a) relative frequency of win 0.3
(b) estimate for 60 games 18
| Outcome | Red | Blue | Green | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 14 | 21 | 15 | 50 |
(a) relative frequency of blue 0.42
(b) estimate for 300 spins 126
| Outcome | Heads | Tails | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 33 | 27 | 60 |
(a) relative frequency of tails 0.45
(b) estimate for 400 throws 180
| Outcome | Red | Blue | Green | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 14 | 21 | 15 | 50 |
(a) relative frequency of blue 0.42
(b) estimate for 300 spins 126
| Outcome | Goal | No goal | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 7 | 13 | 20 |
(a) relative frequency of goal 0.35
(b) estimate for 500 shots 175
| Outcome | Red | Blue | Green | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 14 | 21 | 15 | 50 |
(a) relative frequency of blue 0.42
(b) estimate for 300 spins 126
| Outcome | 1 | 2 | 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 14 | 6 | 20 | 40 |
(a) relative frequency of 2 0.15
(b) estimate for 300 spins 45
| Outcome | Red | Blue | Green | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 14 | 21 | 15 | 50 |
(a) relative frequency of blue 0.42
(b) estimate for 300 spins 126
| Outcome | Odd | Even | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 32 | 48 | 80 |
(a) relative frequency of odd 0.4
(b) estimate for 1000 rolls 400
Answer sheet
Amy throws a coin 10 times and gets 7 heads. Ben throws it 500 times and gets 260 heads. Whose results give the better estimate of the probability of heads? Why?
Ben’s: more trialsA drawing pin is dropped 200 times and lands point up 124 times. Estimate how many times it lands point up in 5000 drops.
3100
- 1640 = 0.4
40 spins. Find the relative frequency of blue.Outcome Red Blue Green Frequency 11 16 13 A dice lands on six 12 times in 50 rolls. Estimate the sixes in 300 rolls.
72Tails 18 times in 40 throws. Finn says the relative frequency of heads is 18 out of 40. Is he right?
No: 2240, 22 heads