Which graph type is typically used to show the distribution of a continuous variable across equal-width bins?

Which graph type is typically used to show the distribution of a continuous variable across equal-width bins?

• A. Bar Graph
• B. Histogram
• C. Frequency Table
• D. Frequency Distribution

Answer: (B)

A histogram is designed to show how a continuous variable is spread across equal-width intervals. Each bar corresponds to a bin, and its height reflects how many observations fall into that bin (or the density if you normalize). This setup makes the overall shape of the distribution easy to see—whether it’s symmetric or skewed, whether it has multiple peaks, and where concentrations of data lie. That’s why it’s the standard graph for displaying a distribution across equal-width bins. A bar graph is meant for categorical or discrete values, not for illustrating a continuous distribution across equal-width intervals. A frequency table or a frequency distribution lists counts by bin rather than providing a visual shape, so they don’t convey the distribution’s form as effectively.

A histogram is designed to show how a continuous variable is spread across equal-width intervals. Each bar corresponds to a bin, and its height reflects how many observations fall into that bin (or the density if you normalize). This setup makes the overall shape of the distribution easy to see—whether it’s symmetric or skewed, whether it has multiple peaks, and where concentrations of data lie. That’s why it’s the standard graph for displaying a distribution across equal-width bins.

A bar graph is meant for categorical or discrete values, not for illustrating a continuous distribution across equal-width intervals. A frequency table or a frequency distribution lists counts by bin rather than providing a visual shape, so they don’t convey the distribution’s form as effectively.