Concepts – Data and Graphs

Creating bar graphs
A bar graph is a visual way of showing information in which quantities corresponding to particular categories are represented by rectangular bars of equal width. The lengths or heights of the rectangular bars compare the quantities in different categories.

Rules

1. The graph must have a title clearly stating what the graph is about.
2. One axis of the chart must be labeled to show the categories being compared.
3. The other axis must have a label and a suitable scale to represent the quantity being displayed. 
4. A bar graph can have either vertical bars or horizontal bars.

Example

The table below shows the number of animals that Joey saw outside his window on Monday and Tuesday.
Use this data to complete the bar graph.

Solution

1. According to the table, there are two missing bars on the graph, the squirrel count on Tuesday (6) and the cat count on Monday (12).

2. Click on the graph above the “squirrels” label, so the orange bar (for Tuesday) reaches the horizontal line across from the number 6.

3. Click on the graph above the “cats” label, so the blue bar (for Monday) reaches the horizontal line across from the number 12.

Prerequisite Skills

None