What does a histogram display?

A histogram is a graphical representation of the distribution of numerical data and is particularly useful for displaying the frequency of occurrences across a range of values. It is constructed by dividing the data into intervals, known as bins, and then counting how many data points fall into each bin. The height of each bar in the histogram represents the frequency, or the number of occurrences, of data points within that specific interval.

This visual representation allows one to easily observe the shape, spread, and central tendencies of the dataset, as well as any potential outliers or patterns that may exist. By analyzing a histogram, one can glean insights about the underlying distribution of the data, making it a valuable tool in statistical analysis and operations management.

Other choices refer to different types of data visualizations or analyses. For instance, steps of a process may be better represented by flowcharts or process maps, while the correlation between two variables is typically shown using scatter plots. Potential sources of defects might be identified through various quality control tools but are not conveyed through a histogram, which focuses solely on frequency distribution.