What is a frequency distribution?

A frequency distribution is fundamentally a table that organizes data by showing how often each value or range of values occurs within a dataset. This method helps in understanding the distribution of data points and provides a clear view of the number of occurrences for each distinct value.

In a frequency distribution table, each unique value or category from the dataset is listed alongside its corresponding frequency, which is the count of how many times that value appears. This structure allows data analysts to quickly assess patterns or trends within the data, making it especially useful for summarizing large sets of quantitative data.

The other options refer to different concepts; for instance, qualitative data collection methods focus on gathering non-numeric information, graphical representations deal with visual illustrations of data trends, and measures of central tendency like mean, median, and mode describe how data points cluster around a central value. However, none of these options directly defines the concept of a frequency distribution, solidifying option A as the correct choice.