Bimodal histograms

[katrina]

I ran descriptive statistics on data that listed the mode as being 86. The
histogram had a bimodal pattern, with modes at 66 and 90. How did Excel
calculate the mode on this data?

 

[Mike Middleton]

katrina -

For example, if your data set included the values 86, 86, 66.1, 66.2, 66.4,
66.6, 90.1, 90.3, 90.6, and 90.7, the histogram might show high frequencies
in the 66 and 90 ranges (depending on how the bins were specified), but the
mode (the most frequently occuring distinct value) is 86.

Sometimes it's more appropriate to report a "modal range" or "modal
interval" or bimodal ranges instead of reporting the mode.

- Mike
http://www.mikemiddleton.com