What is the importance of a histogram?

A histogram is a quick way to get information about a sample distribution without detailed statistical graphing or analysis.

Without needing to have a good graphing program, plotting a histogram can give you a quick visualization of your data distribution. It is important to select the correct 'bin' size (groups of data) to get the best curve approximation.

This plot will show you if your data values are centered (normally distributed), skewed to one side or the other, or have more than one 'mode' - localized distribution concentrations.

They can also be rearranged as a Pareto Plot from highest frequency to lowest, allowing you to focus on the most important factors to address in problem solutions.