Can I Graph a Continuous Probability Distribution in Excel 2016

01-15-2012,08:59 AM #1

Registered User

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Plotting probability distribution?

Hi, I got some data and I want to draw the probability distribution of that data. I searched everywhere but all I could find was how to draw a normal distribution. But my data is not normally distributed. Is there any way that I could draw the probability distribution of this data using Microsoft Excel 2010 ? Do I have to draw a histogram first? Then how? Help please!
Thanks in advance
PUH

Last edited by PUH; 01-16-2012 at 11:04 PM.

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01-15-2012,09:34 AM #2

Re: Plotting probability distribution?

Hi PUH,

Welcome to the forum.

Share the sample data along with expected results for forum to give a quick try.

Regards,
DILIPandey

<click on below 'star' if this helps>

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01-15-2012,10:16 AM #3

Registered User

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Re: Plotting probability distribution?

Hi, Thanks for coming forward to help me. Here's my data.
0.83 0.73 0.83
1.14 0.80 1.19
0.83 1.22 1.08
1.13 0.90 0.96
1.07 0.83 0.75
1.38 1.47 0.52
0.71 0.85 1.16
0.64 1.06 0.43
0.79 0.74 1.18
1.25 1.13 1.02

It's just a bunch of figures, that's all. This separation into three piles is not of any meaning. Just for clarity.

The output should be a plot like this

I cannot really give you the real expected output because I don't have any other means of drawing that graph.

Well, I know this is not much of a help to help me. All what I can tell is how it's done manually.

You first break this data into few ranges (e.g. 0 - 0.1, 0.2 - 0.4 etc.) and count the numbers of data points that belong to each range. Then you plot these numbers (frequencies) against the ranges and smooth out the curve. (which is a very tedious, if not impossible) thing to do by hand.

Hope you can help me, thank you.

Last edited by PUH; 01-15-2012 at 10:18 AM.

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01-16-2012,05:58 AM #4

Re: Plotting probability distribution?

Hi PUH,

Basis your data, I have created a chart in the attached file. Go through it and suggest further changes, if any. Thanks.

Regards,
DILIPandey

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01-16-2012,06:06 AM #5

Re: Plotting probability distribution?

Oopps.. missed the attachment.

Now re-attached.
Regards,
DILIPandey

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01-16-2012,10:37 AM #6

Registered User

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Re: Plotting probability distribution?

Thank you very much for the help. This is almost exactly what I wanted. I'm extremely sorry I forgot something. All the frequency values should be divided by the total number of instances (30 here) since the probability cannot exceed 1. Sorry I forgot to mention that. When I tried to change that, it gives me the error 'you cannot change the part of an array'. Except that the only change needed is that the graph should be a smooth one. I did that little bit, changing the graph type to 'X Y scatter smooth' did the trick.

I'd love if you could explain how you did it too.

Many thanks again.

PUH

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01-16-2012,10:47 AM #7

Re: Plotting probability distribution?

You are welcome PUH..

Included the "division with 30" part in the attached part.

To understand this, would recommend you to learn Frequency function in detail along with some array logic, using which this solution has been developed.

Cheers

Regards,
DILIPandey

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01-16-2012,10:52 PM #8

Registered User

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Re: Plotting probability distribution?

To understand this, would recommend you to learn Frequency function in detail along with some array logic, using which this solution has been developed.

Guess it's my homework! Thanks and sorry for bothering you. Many thanks again. I'm marking this as solved

Last edited by PUH; 01-16-2012 at 10:55 PM.

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01-16-2012,11:01 PM #9

Re: Plotting probability distribution?

Hi PUH,

Its not bothering rather learning for me as I have done this for first time.
Thanks for sharing such a nice query.

Regards,
DILIPandey

<click on below star if this helps>

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11-06-2014,12:58 AM #10

Registered User

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Re: Plotting probability distribution?

i try to adapt the attached excel for my data, how come it always says "you cannot change the part of an array"...

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Source: https://www.excelforum.com/excel-general/809564-plotting-probability-distribution.html