frequency

Everyday

1. How often something happens. tree →
2. (maths) The number of times a value or item appears in a set of data. tree →
3. (science) How many waves (of sound, light or radio) pass a point each second. tree →
4. A radio station's channel number. tree →

In the lessons

In maths: frequency tables and tally charts count how often each value appears; «highest frequency» = the mode. In science: high-frequency sounds are high-pitched; frequency is measured in hertz (Hz). In everyday life: «the frequency of buses».

Examples

• Fill in the frequency column of the tally chart. tree →
• Red had the highest frequency in our survey. tree →
• Bats make sounds at a very high frequency. tree →
• The frequency of buses is every ten minutes. tree →
• Tune the radio to the right frequency. tree →
• The frequency of accidents fell after the speed bumps. tree →
• Dogs can hear frequencies we cannot. tree →
• Yet its main incidents occur with frequency in Continental folk-tales. tree →

Note

Countable in maths and science (frequencies). Adjective: frequent. In maths, frequency = count, not the value itself; total of all frequencies = number of data items. Mode = value with the highest frequency.