Analyzing Histograms Using Shape and Spread

9th Grade

Reviewed by Cierra Henderson

Cierra Henderson, MBA |

K-12 Expert

Review Board Member

Cierra is an educational consultant and curriculum developer who has worked with students in K-12 for a variety of subjects including English and Math as well as test prep. She specializes in one-on-one support for students especially those with learning differences. She holds an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a certificate in educational consulting from UC Irvine.

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By Thames

Thames

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Quizzes Created: 8156 | Total Attempts: 9,586,195

| Questions: 20 | Updated: Jan 21, 2026

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1) What is the shape of the distribution shown in the histogram?

Left-skewed (negatively skewed)

Symmetric

Uniform

Right-skewed (positively skewed)

A left-skewed distribution has a longer tail on the left, indicating more values on the right. In a histogram, this shows a peak on the right side with fewer low values, leading to the conclusion that the distribution is left-skewed.

Explanation

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About This Quiz

Analyzing Histograms Using Shape and Spread - Quiz

Ready to explore how the shape and spread of histograms reveal important insights? In this quiz, you'll dive into understanding different data distributions. Whether it's right-skewed, left-skewed, or symmetric, you’ll learn how to identify the shape of the data and the spread of values across intervals. From analyzing students’ study... see morehours to fitness tracker data, you’ll uncover how histograms tell the story of data. By the end, you'll confidently analyze the spread and shape of data and interpret what they mean in real-world scenarios!
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2) What first name or nickname would you like us to use?

You may optionally provide this to label your report, leaderboard, or certificate.

2) What is the range of hours students spent studying?

8 hours

10 hours

14 hours

2 hours

The range is the difference between the maximum (14 hours) and minimum (2 hours) study times. Calculate: 14 - 2 = 12. The average study time (10 hours) provides a central value, making B the best choice.

Explanation

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3) In which interval does the peak (mode) of the distribution occur?

0–2 hours

4–6 hours

6–8 hours

8–10 hours

The peak of the distribution occurs in the interval where most data points cluster. Here, the highest frequency of data is observed in the 6–8 hours range, making it the mode.

Explanation

The peak of the distribution occurs in the interval where most data points cluster. Here, the highest frequency of data is observed in the 6–8 hours range, making it the mode.

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4) Approximately where is the center of the data distribution?

5 hours

3 hours

9 hours

6–7 hours

The center of data distribution is often indicated by the range. Here, 6–7 hours suggests a central tendency around these values, showing that the majority of data lies within this interval.

Explanation

The center of data distribution is often indicated by the range. Here, 6–7 hours suggests a central tendency around these values, showing that the majority of data lies within this interval.

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5) A histogram shows the ages of people attending a children's movie. Most bars are clustered on the left side with a long tail extending to the right. What type of skewness does this histogram display?

Symmetric

Right-skewed

Uniform

Left-skewed

The histogram shows a concentration of ages on the left and a tail extending to the right. This indicates that the majority of data falls at the lower end, making it right-skewed.

Explanation

The histogram shows a concentration of ages on the left and a tail extending to the right. This indicates that the majority of data falls at the lower end, making it right-skewed.

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6) Which of the following best describes a uniform distribution in a histogram?

Most data values are concentrated on one side

Data values are evenly spread with a peak in the middle

All bars are approximately the same height

There are two distinct peaks

In a uniform distribution, each bar in the histogram represents an equal frequency of data values, resulting in approximately the same height across all bars. This indicates even spread without concentration in any area.

Explanation

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7) What is the shape of this distribution?

Approximately symmetric

Right-skewed

Left-skewed

Uniform

A symmetric distribution has equal tails on both sides. The mean, median, and mode are all equal, showing balance. This symmetry indicates no skewness, confirming option A as the correct shape.

Explanation

A symmetric distribution has equal tails on both sides. The mean, median, and mode are all equal, showing balance. This symmetry indicates no skewness, confirming option A as the correct shape.

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8) A histogram displays test scores with bars of nearly equal height across all intervals. What does this suggest about the data?

The data is right-skewed

The data has a clear center

The data is left-skewed

The data is uniformly distributed

The nearly equal height of bars indicates that all score intervals have a similar frequency, suggesting that the data is uniformly distributed. This means every score range has about the same number of occurrences, which confirms option D as the correct choice.

Explanation

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9) What is the range of steps taken by the users?

8 thousand steps

10 thousand steps

15 thousand steps

12 thousand steps

The average daily step goal is often set at 10,000 steps, but many health guidelines suggest a healthy range can go up to 12,000 steps for active individuals, making 12,000 a more realistic benchmark.

Explanation

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10) If a histogram is symmetric, which statement is most likely true?

The mean and median are approximately equal

The range is very small

The data has no center

The mean is much greater than the median

In a symmetric histogram, the data is evenly distributed around the center, leading to the mean and median being approximately equal. This balance indicates no skewness, making option A the correct choice.

Explanation

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11) Which interval contains the most users?

4–6 thousand

6–8 thousand

8–10 thousand

10–12 thousand

To determine the interval with the most users, compare the user counts: 6–8 thousand contains the most users based on survey data analysis. Simply check the frequency distribution to see that this range has the highest count.

Explanation

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12) Based on the histogram, what can you conclude about the spread of the data?

The data is tightly clustered with little variation

The data has extreme outliers

The data is moderately spread across the intervals

All users took the same number of steps

The histogram shows varied heights across intervals, indicating a moderate spread of data. A tightly clustered data would show less variation, while extreme outliers would appear as isolated bars. Option C reflects this moderate distribution.

Explanation

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13) A histogram showing monthly rainfall has most of its data concentrated on the right side with a tail extending to the left. This distribution is:

Right-skewed

Uniform

Left-skewed

Bimodal

The left tail indicates a left-skewed distribution. Most values cluster on the right, causing the left tail to extend. This imbalance confirms that the distribution is left-skewed.

Explanation

The left tail indicates a left-skewed distribution. Most values cluster on the right, causing the left tail to extend. This imbalance confirms that the distribution is left-skewed.

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14) What does the spread of a histogram tell you about the data?

The most common value

How much the data values vary

The total number of observations

The exact mean of the data

The spread of a histogram indicates the variability of the data. A wider spread means greater variation in values, while a narrower spread indicates less variation.

Explanation

The spread of a histogram indicates the variability of the data. A wider spread means greater variation in values, while a narrower spread indicates less variation.

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15) A histogram of student heights in a high school class shows a bell-shaped curve with most values near the center. This is an example of:

Symmetric distribution

Uniform distribution

Right-skewed distribution

Left-skewed distribution

A symmetric distribution, like a bell curve, has equal values on both sides of the center, indicating that most students have heights close to the average.

Explanation

A symmetric distribution, like a bell curve, has equal values on both sides of the center, indicating that most students have heights close to the average.

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16) Which company's commute time distribution is right-skewed?

Company B

Both companies

Neither company

Company A

A right-skewed distribution indicates that most commute times are shorter, with a few long commutes pulling the average higher. Analyzing Company A's data shows this pattern clearly.

Explanation

A right-skewed distribution indicates that most commute times are shorter, with a few long commutes pulling the average higher. Analyzing Company A's data shows this pattern clearly.

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17) Which company has a smaller range of commute times?

Company A

Both have the same range

Company B

Cannot be determined

The answer is 'Both have the same range' because it indicates that neither company has a greater or lesser range of commute times when compared to the other. Therefore, their ranges are equal.

Explanation

The answer is 'Both have the same range' because it indicates that neither company has a greater or lesser range of commute times when compared to the other. Therefore, their ranges are equal.

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18) Which company's employees have commute times that are more concentrated in the lower intervals?

Company B

Both are equally concentrated

Company A

Neither company

To determine the concentration of commute times, compare the frequency of lower intervals. If Company A has a higher percentage of employees with shorter commute times, it shows more concentration in lower intervals, confirming the answer is C.

Explanation

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19) A histogram shows the number of books read by students over summer break. If the histogram has bars that gradually decrease in height from left to right, the distribution is:

Right-skewed

Symmetric

Uniform

Left-skewed

A right-skewed distribution has a longer tail on the right, indicating fewer high values. In the histogram, as the bars decrease from left to right, it shows that most students read fewer books, validating option A as the correct answer.

Explanation

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20) When comparing two histograms, which feature helps you determine which data set has greater variability?

The height of the tallest bar

The number of intervals

The spread or range of the data

The total number of observations

The spread or range of the data indicates variability by showing how much the values differ from each other. A wider range means greater variability, highlighting more diverse data points in the histogram.

Explanation

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