Relative frequency
The Maths Habit
A drawing pin is dropped. Does it land point up or point down more often? How could you find out?
Drop it lots of times. Count how many times it lands point up.
What fraction of the bar is shaded?
Find the total.
- Trial
- One go: one spin, one flip or one roll.
- Outcome
- What happens on a trial.
- Frequency
- How many times something happened.
- Relative frequency
- How many times it happened, as a fraction of all the trials.
A coin is flipped 10 times. Find the relative frequency of heads.
| Heads | Tails | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 3 | 10 |
frequency =710
A spinner is spun 12 times. Find the relative frequency of red.
| Red | Blue | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 7 | 12 |
frequency =512
A coin is flipped 10 times. Find the relative frequency of heads.
| Heads | Tails | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 3 | 10 |
frequency =710
A dice is rolled 20 times. Find the relative frequency of six.
| Six | Not six | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 13 | 20 |
frequency =720
A coin is flipped 10 times. Find the relative frequency of heads.
| Heads | Tails | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 3 | 10 |
frequency =710
A drawing pin is dropped 12 times. Find the relative frequency of point down.
| Point up | Point down | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 7 | 12 |
frequency =712
A coin is flipped 10 times. Find the relative frequency of heads.
| Heads | Tails | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 3 | 10 |
frequency =710
A coin is flipped 20 times. Find the relative frequency of tails.
| Heads | Tails | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | 9 | 20 |
frequency =920
A spinner is spun. Find the relative frequency of green.
| Red | Blue | Green | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 6 | 13 |
frequency =613
A counter is taken from a bag. Find the relative frequency of blue.
| Red | Blue | Green | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
frequency =311
A spinner is spun. Find the relative frequency of green.
| Red | Blue | Green | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 6 | 13 |
frequency =613
A drawing pin is dropped. Find the relative frequency of point up.
| Point up | Point down | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 7 | 15 |
frequency =815
A spinner is spun. Find the relative frequency of green.
| Red | Blue | Green | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 6 | 13 |
frequency =613
A team plays some games. Find the relative frequency of lost.
| Won | Drawn | Lost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
frequency =411
A spinner is spun. Find the relative frequency of green.
| Red | Blue | Green | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 6 | 13 |
frequency =613
Tom throws a ball at a hoop. Find the relative frequency of scoring.
| Scored | Missed | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 8 | 13 |
frequency =513
Answer sheet
Is it right?
Thumbs up: right. Thumbs down: wrong.
Red 3, Blue 7. Relative frequency of red = 310
RightRed 3, Blue 7. Relative frequency of red = 37
Wrong: the total is 10Heads 6, Tails 5. Relative frequency of tails = 511
RightSix 2, Not six 8. Relative frequency of six = 810
Wrong: 2 sixesWin 4, Lose 5. Relative frequency of win = 45
Wrong: the total is 9
The relative frequency of red is 310. Write it as a decimal.
0.3The relative frequency of red is 310. Estimate how many reds there would be in 100 spins.
30Amy flips a coin 10 times. Ben flips it 200 times. Whose results give the better estimate? Why?
Ben’s: more trials
Find the relative frequency of red.
29Red Blue Total 2 7 9 Find the relative frequency of tails.
513Heads Tails 8 5 3 sixes in 10 rolls. Find the relative frequency of six.
310