What are the advantages of using R Histograms over Bar Charts?
a) Histograms are better for showing the distribution of continuous data
b) Histograms can display categorical data more effectively
c) Histograms are better for time series data
d) Histograms can only display discrete data
Answer:
a) Histograms are better for showing the distribution of continuous data
Explanation:
R histograms are better suited for showing the distribution of continuous data by dividing the data into bins and plotting the frequency of data points within each bin. Unlike bar charts, which are typically used for comparing discrete categories, histograms provide insights into the shape, spread, and central tendency of continuous data.
# Example of a histogram
data <- rnorm(200) # Generate 200 random normal values
hist(data, col = "lightgreen", main = "Histogram of Normally Distributed Data", xlab = "Value", ylab = "Frequency")
In this example, a histogram is used to display the distribution of 200 normally distributed random values. The histogram helps visualize the frequency distribution, showing how values are spread across the range. This is particularly useful for identifying patterns such as skewness, kurtosis, or the presence of outliers.