Shape Statistic Document For Free

When describing the shape of a distribution, one should consider: Symmetry/skewness of the distribution. Peakedness (modality) ? the number of peaks (modes) the distribution has. Not all distributions have a simple, recognizable shape.

Histogram: Study the shape Bell-shaped: A bell-shaped picture, shown below, usually presents a normal distribution. Bimodal: A bimodal shape, shown below, has two peaks. ... Skewed left: Some histograms will show a skewed distribution to the left, as shown below.

The four ways to describe shape are whether it is symmetric, how many peaks it has, if it is skewed to the left or right, and whether it is uniform. A graph with a single peak is called unimodal. A single peak over the center is called bell-shaped. And, a graph with two peaks is called bimodal.

Example 4 Frequency Distributions: A graph representing the frequency of each outcome occurring. Probability Distributions: A graph that provides the probability of each outcome occurring. The most common distribution shapes are: Symmetric: Bell-shaped: Skewed to the left: Skewed to the right: Uniform:

The shape of a distribution is described by its number of peaks and by its possession of symmetry, its tendency to skew, or its uniformity. (Distributions that are skewed have more points plotted on one side of the graph than on the other.) PEAKS: Graphs often display peaks, or local maximums.

When we describe shapes of distributions, we commonly use words like symmetric, left-skewed, right-skewed, bimodal, and uniform. Not every distribution fits one of these descriptions, but they are still a useful way to summarize the overall shape of many distributions.