To compare the shapes of two histograms, focus on their symmetry, peaks, spread, and outliers.

Begin your analysis by examining the symmetry of each histogram. A histogram is considered symmetric if it appears identical on both sides of its central point. If one histogram exhibits symmetry while the other does not, this represents a significant difference in their shapes.

Next, assess the peaks, which are also referred to as modes. A histogram may have one peak (unimodal), two peaks (bimodal), or multiple peaks (multimodal). Compare the number and positions of these peaks in both histograms to determine whether the underlying data distributions are similar or distinct.

The spread of the data is another crucial aspect to consider. The spread refers to the width of the histogram. A wider histogram indicates greater variability in the data, while a narrower histogram suggests less variability. Examine the range of values along the x-axis for both histograms to identify which one has a broader spread.

Finally, look for outliers—data points that are significantly higher or lower than the majority of the data. Outliers can influence the shape of a histogram. If one histogram contains outliers while the other does not, this is a noteworthy difference.

By analyzing these elements—symmetry, peaks, spread, and outliers—you can effectively compare the shapes of two histograms and gain insights into the differences in their data distributions.