Types of Statistics
Statistics is the branch of mathematics that deals with collecting, organizing, analyzing,
interpreting, and presenting data.
There are two main types of statistics:
🔹 a) Descriptive Statistics
● Descriptive statistics are used to describe and summarize the main features of a
dataset.
● It includes tools such as:
○ Mean (average)
○ Median
○ Mode
○ Standard deviation
○ Charts and graphs like pie charts, bar graphs, histograms, etc.
● It helps in understanding data at a glance.
● Example: Finding the average score of students in a class.
🔹 b) Inferential Statistics
● Inferential statistics help in making predictions or generalizations about a population
based on a sample.
● It involves:
○ Hypothesis testing
○ Estimation
○ Correlation and regression
● Used when it is not possible to study the whole population.
● Example: Surveying 500 people to predict the election results of a whole country.
🟩 2. Primary and Secondary Data
In statistics, data is the basic input used for analysis. It can be of two types:
🔹 a) Primary Data
● Data that is collected first-hand by the researcher for a specific purpose.
● It is original and fresh.
● Methods to collect primary data include:
○ Surveys
○ Interviews
○ Observations
○ Experiments
● Advantage: Accurate and reliable for the current study.
● Example: A student conducting a survey of classmates about their favorite subjects.
🔹 b) Secondary Data
● Data that has been collected earlier by someone else for a different purpose but is
now used again.
● Found in:
○ Books
○ Newspapers
○ Government reports
○ Websites
● Advantage: Time-saving and cost-effective.
● Example: Using population data from a government census report.
🟩 3. Frequency Distribution
A frequency distribution is a table that shows how frequently each value or group of values
appears in a dataset.
● It organizes data into class intervals.
● Each interval shows the number of values (called frequency) falling within that range.
Example:
Class Interval Frequenc
y
0 – 10 3
11 – 20 5
21 – 30 7
This means:
● 3 students scored between 0 and 10,
● 5 students between 11 and 20, and so on.
Uses:
● Makes large data easier to understand.
● Helps in drawing graphs like histograms.
🟩 4. Histogram
A histogram is a type of bar graph that is used to represent frequency distribution of
continuous data.
● It consists of adjacent (touching) bars.
● The x-axis shows class intervals (e.g., 0–10, 11–20).
● The y-axis shows frequency (how many times each class occurs).
Features:
● Bars are not separated because the data is continuous.
● The height of each bar represents the frequency.
● Used for marks, height, weight, etc.
Use:
Helps visualize the shape of the data distribution.
🟩 5. Pie Chart
A pie chart is a circular chart divided into slices to show proportions.
● Each slice represents a category of data.
● The size of each slice is based on its percentage or fraction of the total.
Features:
● The entire circle is 360 degrees.
● Useful for showing percentage-based data.
● Easy to understand at a glance.
Example:
If 40% students like Science, then the Science slice will be 40% of the circle (i.e., 144° of the
360°).
🟩 6. Problems in Statistics
While working with statistics, some challenges or problems may occur:
🔸 a) Incomplete or Missing Data
● Some values may not be available, which makes the analysis difficult.
🔸 b) Incorrect Data Collection
● Data may be collected with bias or errors, leading to wrong results.
🔸 c) Misinterpretation
● If not handled carefully, statistical results can be misunderstood or misused.
🔸 d) Limited Sample Size
● If the sample is too small, it may not truly represent the whole population.
🔸 e) Overgeneralization
● Applying results of a small group to a large population without proper testing can be
misleading.
🟩 7. Variables
A variable is anything that can change or vary. In statistics, variables are characteristics that
can take on different values.
Types of Variables:
🔹 a) Quantitative Variables:
● Represent numeric values.
● Example: Age, weight, marks, height.
🔹 b) Qualitative Variables:
● Represent categories or labels.
● Example: Gender (male/female), color, religion.
🔹 c) Discrete Variables:
● Countable in whole numbers.
● Example: Number of books, number of students.
🔹 d) Continuous Variables:
● Can take any value within a range.
● Example: Temperature, height.
🟩 8. Weighted Mean
The weighted mean is used when some values are more important or occur more
frequently than others.
Where:
● xxx = value
● www = weight (frequency or importance of the value)
● ∑\sum∑ = sum of all values
Example:
Marks (x) Number of Students
(w)
40 2
50 3
60 5
So, the weighted mean = 53
