Representing data

• Types of graph


  • bar chart (normal, comparative, composite)
  • pie chart
  • cumulative frequency
  • histogram
  • time series
  • box plots
• Bar chart - used to represent discrete data as there are gaps between the bars.
• Composite bar chart - represent the % the group takes compared to the whole amount. This shows the proportion.
• Comparative bar charts - show multiple pieces of data compared to each other.
• Pie charts - represent the proportion of data each group takes up, maximum 7 groups.
• Cumulative frequency - used to represent grouped continuous data and are used to make estimates for grouped data.
• Histogram - used to represent grouped continuous data, frequency density = frequency / class width.
• Time series - used to represent trends in data over time, often used to spot seasonal trends.
• Box plots - used for any quantitative data. Very useful for comparing data and to represent key information about the sample.