The following class intervals for a frequency distribution were developed to provide information regarding the starting salaries for students graduating from a particular school:
Before data was collected, someone questioned the validity of this arrangement. Which of the following represents a problem with this set of intervals?
A) There are too many intervals.
B) The class widths are too small.
C) Some numbers between 28,000 and 40,000 would fall into two different intervals.
D) The first and the second interval overlap.
E) There are too few intervals.

Question

The following class intervals for a frequency distribution were developed to provide information regarding the starting salaries for students graduating from a particular school:   
Before data was collected, someone questioned the validity of this arrangement. Which of the following represents a problem with this set of intervals?
A) There are too many intervals. 
B) The class widths are too small. 
C) Some numbers between 28,000 and 40,000 would fall into two different intervals. 
D) The first and the second interval overlap. 
E) There are too few intervals.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The problem with this set of intervals is that some numbers between 28,000 and 40,000 would fall into two different intervals. This creates ambiguity and makes it difficult to accurately classify data. For example, a starting salary of 31,000 could fall into either the first or second interval, which would result in inaccurate frequency counts. A better approach would be to either adjust the intervals to ensure they do not overlap or use a different set of intervals altogether.

The Following Class Intervals for a Frequency Distribution Were Developed