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What Type of Graph Do I Use?

Type of Graph Example Example of When Graph Used


Types of pets and the number of students who own them Students and the number of hours spent watching tv a week

Description

Advantages

Disadvantages

Bar Graph

Bar graphs are used to compare things between different groups or to track changes over time.

Visually strong

Can easily compare two or three pieces of data

Categories can be reordered causing graph to be misleading Use only with distinct data

Circle Graph (a.k.a Pie Graph)

Displaying Monthly Budget Displaying Types of After School Activities Displaying Types of Pizza toppings

A circle graph is best when you are trying to compare parts of a whole. They do not show change over time.

Visually appealing Shows percent of total for each category Best with 3 to 7 categories

Hard to compare various data sets since the exact amount of each set is unknown Other category too vague and causes a problem Total pieces of data (or surveyed) is typically unknown unless specified Use only with

What Type of Graph Do I Use? Type of Graph Example Example of When Graph Used Description Advantages Disadvantages

distinct data

Frequency Table

Number of Homeruns in a season Height of students in a class

A frequency table shows the number of pieces of data that fall within given intervals.

Visually strong

Shows total number of data

Intervals may be inaccurate or too large Exact data unknown due to intervals

Histogram

Test scores to Number of Students Ages of shoppers to amount of money spent at a store

Histograms are similar to bar graphs . . .except, histograms do NOT have spaces (or gaps) between categories.

Visually strong

Can compare to normal bell curve Usually the yaxis is a count of items falling into each category

Cannot read exact values because data is grouped into categories More difficult to compare two data sets Use only with distinct data

What Type of Graph Do I Use? Type of Graph Example Example of When Graph Used
Your grade throughout the nine weeks Cost of a Playstation 3 since it was released The number of laps you can do in the pacer test during PE

Description

Advantages

Disadvantages

Line Graph

A scatter plot with the dots connected. Multiple pieces of data sets can be graphed on the same line graph, but then a key is needed.

Can compare multiple continuous data sets easily Trends of data are easily seen over time

Use only with continuous data

Line Plot

Test scores (could be differentiated between boys and girls) Ages in a group

A line plot displays the data above a number line by placing marks for each piece of data over the corresponding value.

Visually strong

Easily compare two sets of data

May be misleading if marks are not equal size

What Type of Graph Do I Use? Type of Graph Example Example of When Graph Used
Number of books read in a week by grade level Amount of Money earned by Students in a Class

Description

Advantages

Disadvantages

Pictograph

A pictograph uses pictures or symbols to represent the data. A key is required.

Visually interesting Used for distinct data

Misleading when only fractional parts of pictures are used Total number of data may be unknown

What Type of Graph Do I Use? Type of Graph Example Example of When Graph Used
Time studying and Test Grade Time driving and distance from home

Description

Advantages

Disadvantages

Scatter Plot Positive Correlation

A scatter plot displays data as points, typically over time.

Shows a trend in the data relationship Keeps the EXACT values and sample size Shows minimum, maximum, & outliers

Hard to visualize results in a large data set Data on both axis should be continuous

Negative Correlation

Amount of time watching tv and test grade Amount of time you have driven and the number of gallons of gasoline in your car

No Correlation
Your hair color and your test score Your batting average and the number of pets you own

What Type of Graph Do I Use? Type of Graph Example Example of When Graph Used
Quiz Scores

Description

Advantages

Disadvantages

Stem n Leaf Plot

Ages at the Movies

A stem n leaf plot displays quantitative data by arranging the data in order.

Provide a quick overview of data Easily identify outliers Easily identify mode Easily identify median Keeps EXACT values of data

Too much data makes stemn-leaf plots cluttered and hard to read Too little data does not allow you to see any trend Only useful with certain data values (i.e. not a lot of decimal places, or unit places)

Box and Whisker Plot

Quiz Scores

Ages at the Movies

A box-andwhisker plot displays quantitative data by arranging it in order. However, individual pieces of data are not identified.

Provide a quick overview of data Easily identify outliers Easily identifies range Easily identify median

Does not provide original data points May give false impression of data (i.e. small sample size vs. large sample size) Quartiles may be misinterpreted Hard to compare various data sets since the exact amount of each set is unknown

What Type of Graph Do I Use? Type of Graph Example Example of When Graph Used Description Advantages Disadvantages

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