Representing data
Before Saoirse's Second Year class chose a Christmas jumper day charity, the class rep had a long list of votes that nobody could read. A well-made graph can be understood at a glance. But not every graph is suitable for every purpose, and some, whether made deliberately or by accident, can give a false impression of the data.
Pictogram
A pictogram uses a simple picture to represent a fixed quantity of data. You must always give the key (how much each symbol is worth).
The following pictogram shows the number of trees planted by the students of a secondary school over four years. If each symbol represents $5$ trees, answer the…
The following pictogram shows the number of trees planted by the students of a secondary school over four years. If each symbol represents $5$ trees, answer the following questions:
- a) How many trees were planted in the year $2021$?
- b) In which year were exactly $15$ trees planted?
- c) What is the total number of trees planted over the four years?
The local council of a town wants to raise awareness about recycling. To do so, it has published a pictogram showing the number of recycling bins installed in four…
The local council of a town wants to raise awareness about recycling. To do so, it has published a pictogram showing the number of recycling bins installed in four different neighbourhoods.
If each ♻️ symbol is equivalent to $12$ bins:
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Neighbourhood A: ♻️♻️♻️♻️
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Neighbourhood B: ♻️♻️♻️
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Neighbourhood C: ♻️♻️♻️♻️♻️
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Neighbourhood D: ♻️♻️
- a) Construct the frequency table for the number of bins in each neighbourhood.
- b) What is the total number of bins installed in the town?
- c) Represent these same data using a bar chart to compare both visual methods.
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
Model. A dairy cooperative in Cork has published in its monthly newsletter a pictogram showing the production of bottled milk during the four weeks of December. The…
Model. A dairy cooperative in Cork has published in its monthly newsletter a pictogram showing the production of bottled milk during the four weeks of December. The pictogram's key states that the icon of a full jug represents $4000\text{ litres}$. The following symbols are drawn in the chart:
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Week 1: $3$ full jugs.
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Week 2: $5$ full jugs and a jug cut exactly in half.
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Week 3: $4$ full jugs and a jug of which only three quarters are drawn.
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Week 4: $2$ full jugs and a quarter of a jug.
- a) Translate the information from the pictogram into actual litres: calculate the amount of bottled milk produced in each of the four weeks and the total for the month.
- b) The cooperative wants to replace the pictogram with a bar chart in its official technical report so that there is no confusion with partial drawings. Describe in detail how this chart should be constructed (which variable will go on each axis, whether the bars should be touching or separated, and what vertical scale in litres you suggest so that it is clearly readable).
- c) If in Week 2 the illustrator had mistakenly drawn the partial jug as one third instead of half a jug, how many litres of difference would have been mistakenly communicated to the public?
An NGO has carried out a survey on the number of children in $50$ families of a neighborhood. The results have been lost, but we have kept the pictogram, where each…
An NGO has carried out a survey on the number of children in $50$ families of a neighborhood. The results have been lost, but we have kept the pictogram, where each house symbol represents $4$ families. In the neighborhood no family has more than $3$ children.
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$0$ children: 🏠 🏠 🏠
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$1$ child: 🏠 🏠 🏠 🏠 🏠
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$2$ children: 🏠 🏠 🏠 🏠
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$3$ children: $?$
- a) Knowing that the total number of families is $50$, how many families have $3$ children? How would you represent that quantity in the pictogram?
- b) Calculate the mean, the median and the mode of the distribution.
- c) If a family is chosen at random, what is the probability that it has fewer than $2$ children? Represent this situation with a pie chart.
Bar chart and histogram
In a statistical study, the population is everyone or everything we want to learn about. The sample is the smaller group actually asked or measured, and it should be representative and unbiased. Each member of the sample is an individual. The variable is what we record: it is categorical if the values are words or categories (favourite sport) and numerical if they are numbers (height, number of siblings).
For categorical or discrete numerical data, the bars are drawn separated. For continuous data grouped into intervals of equal width, a histogram is used, with the bars touching.
A frequency table lists each value and its frequency (how many times it occurs). Tally the data first, then count: the frequencies must add up to the number of items.
To compare two groups, such as boys and girls, use a two-way table and a clustered bar chart, with two bars side by side for each category.
When the data are numerical and grouped, the class mark of an interval is its midpoint: for $[160, 165)$ it is $\dfrac{160 + 165}{2} = 162.5$.
When the table has missing values, use the totals. Each row total is the sum of its row, each column total is the sum of its column, and the grand total is both.
Look at the following bar chart representing the favourite sport of a group of teenagers from a sports club: Using the graph, answer the following: a) How many people…
Look at the following bar chart representing the favourite sport of a group of teenagers from a sports club:
Using the graph, answer the following:
- a) How many people prefer basketball?
- b) Which sport is the least practised in this group?
- c) How many people were surveyed in total?
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
Students in a class were asked for the number of siblings they have, obtaining the following data: $1, 0, 2, 1, 1, 0, 3, 2, 1, 1, 0, 2, 1, 4, 1, 0, 2, 1, 1, 2$ Construct…
Students in a class were asked for the number of siblings they have, obtaining the following data:
$1, 0, 2, 1, 1, 0, 3, 2, 1, 1, 0, 2, 1, 4, 1, 0, 2, 1, 1, 2$
Construct a frequency table including the absolute frequency ($n_i$) and the relative frequency ($f_i$).
The height (in cm) of the $20$ members of a youth basketball club was measured. Being a continuous variable, the data have been grouped into the following intervals:…
The height (in cm) of the $20$ members of a youth basketball club was measured. Being a continuous variable, the data have been grouped into the following intervals:
$[160, 165), [165, 170), [170, 175), [175, 180), [180, 185]$.
The frequencies are: $2, 5, 8, 3, 2$, respectively.
- a) State the class marks ($x_i$) for each interval.
- b) Represent the data on a histogram. Explain how this graph differs from a conventional bar chart.
- c) What is the modal class?
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
A survey of $400$ teenagers was carried out about their favourite weekend activity, distinguishing between boys and girls. The data are shown in the following…
A survey of $400$ teenagers was carried out about their favourite weekend activity, distinguishing between boys and girls. The data are shown in the following contingency table, but some values are missing:
| Activity | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema | $?$ | $65$ | $110$ |
| Video games | $80$ | $?$ | $?$ |
| Sports | $?$ | $55$ | $130$ |
| Total | $200$ | $?$ | $400$ |
- a) Fill in all the missing values in the table.
- b) Represent the data using a clustered bar chart (one bar for boys and another for girls for each activity).
- c) What percentage of girls prefers sports? Is it greater or smaller than the percentage of boys who prefer sports?
You can do it on paper and submit a photo with your answer.
Pie charts and line graphs
A pie chart shares out the total into angles proportional to each relative frequency:
$$\text{angle} = \dfrac{\text{frequency}}{\text{total}} \cdot 360° = f_i \cdot 360°$$The angles of a pie chart always add up to $360°$. If you know an angle, work backwards: frequency $= \dfrac{\text{angle}}{360°} \cdot \text{total}$.
A line graph shows how something changes over time, such as daily temperatures from Met Éireann. Read it by checking the axes, then the highest point, the lowest point and the steepest part (the biggest change between two points).
A line plot shows how often each value occurs along a number line: put a cross (or dot) above the value for every item in the data, stacking the crosses when a value repeats. The tallest stack is the mode.
To represent the results of a survey about preferred ice cream flavours on a pie chart, we need to calculate the angles for each section. If we know that $10$ out of a…
To represent the results of a survey about preferred ice cream flavours on a pie chart, we need to calculate the angles for each section. If we know that $10$ out of a total of $40$ people like chocolate, what angle size in degrees ($^\circ$) will the sector corresponding to chocolate have?
The following line graph shows the evolution of the maximum temperature in a city during the first week of May: Looking at the graph: a) On which day of the week was the…
The following line graph shows the evolution of the maximum temperature in a city during the first week of May:
Looking at the graph:
- a) On which day of the week was the highest maximum temperature recorded?
- b) Between which two consecutive days was there the greatest drop in temperature?
- c) What was the maximum temperature on Monday?
A video game company wants to represent the type of console preferred by visitors at a gaming convention in a pie chart. The data are: PlayStation: $45\%$ Nintendo…
A video game company wants to represent the type of console preferred by visitors at a gaming convention in a pie chart. The data are:
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PlayStation: $45\%$
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Nintendo Switch: $30\%$
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Xbox: $15\%$
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PC: $10\%$
- a) Calculate the degrees corresponding to each circular sector using proportion or the sector angle formula: $\alpha = \frac{360^\circ \times n_i}{N}$.
- b) Draw an approximate pie chart using the calculated angles.
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
A survey was conducted among $120$ people about their weekly physical activity. The results are presented in this incomplete table: | Activity | Frequency ($n_i$) |…
A survey was conducted among $120$ people about their weekly physical activity. The results are presented in this incomplete table:
| Activity | Frequency ($n_i$) | Relative Freq. ($f_i$) | Sector Angle ($\alpha$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| None (Sedentary) | $30$ | ? | ? |
| 1-2 days | ? | $0.25$ | ? |
| 3-5 days | $42$ | ? | ? |
| More than 5 days | ? | ? | $54^\circ$ |
- a) Complete all the gaps in the table knowing that the total number of individuals ($N$) is $120$.
- b) Represent the data in a pie chart.
- c) State the mode of this study.
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
Climate graphs and graphs that mislead
A climate graph combines two graphs in one: bars for precipitation (mm) and a line for temperature, with two different vertical scales over the same horizontal axis (the months).
Look at the following two graphs showing the change in average temperature in a city during a spring morning. Both represent the same data, but have been drawn with…
Look at the following two graphs showing the change in average temperature in a city during a spring morning. Both represent the same data, but have been drawn with different scales on the vertical axis.
- a) Explain why Graph B gives the impression of much faster growth than Graph A if the data are identical.
- b) Which of the two graphs do you think is more objective for informing the public? Reason your answer based on the scale of the vertical axis.
A climate graph (climograph) is a graph that combines a bar chart (rainfall) and a line graph (temperature). Look at the simplified data for a quarter in Cork, a city in…
A climate graph (climograph) is a graph that combines a bar chart (rainfall) and a line graph (temperature). Look at the simplified data for a quarter in Cork, a city in the south of Ireland:
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January: $10^\circ C$, $60\text{ mm}$
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February: $12^\circ C$, $45\text{ mm}$
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March: $15^\circ C$, $30\text{ mm}$
- a) Draw the climate graph, placing the months on the $X$ axis, rainfall on the left $Y$ axis (bars), and temperatures on the right $Y$ axis (line).
- b) By analysing the graph, what trend do you observe moving from winter to spring?
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
An influencer wants to show the growth of their followers on two different social networks during the last six months. To do so, they present the following graphs. a)…
An influencer wants to show the growth of their followers on two different social networks during the last six months. To do so, they present the following graphs.
- a) Explain why the graph for Social Network Y could be misleading to sponsors if they do not look at the vertical axis.
- b) Knowing that on Social Network X they started with $10,000$ followers and ended with $12,000$, and on Social Network Y they started with $50,000$ and ended with $51,000$, draw a single comparative line graph using an appropriate scale that allows for comparing the actual growth of both accounts.
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
Frequency polygon, stem-and-leaf plots and width of the intervals
For ordered numerical values, the frequency polygon joins the points $(x_i, n_i)$ at the heights of the bars; with intervals of equal width, use their class marks. It summarises the distribution, not a change over time.
A stem-and-leaf plot lists the data in order: the stem is the tens digit and the leaves are the units digits, with a key such as $2 \mid 3$ means $23$.
A box plot (box-and-whisker plot) summarises data using five values: the minimum, the lower quartile $Q_1$, the median, the upper quartile $Q_3$ and the maximum. The line inside the box is the median. The box runs from $Q_1$ to $Q_3$ and holds the middle $50\%$ of the data; its length $Q_3 - Q_1$ is the interquartile range, and a longer box means more spread. Each quarter of the data lies between two neighbouring markers, so if a value equals $Q_1$, about $75\%$ of the data are at or above it.
A phone company analyses the battery life of two smartphone models, A and B, after one year of use. The results are shown in the following box plot (box-and-whisker…
A phone company analyses the battery life of two smartphone models, A and B, after one year of use. The results are shown in the following box plot (box-and-whisker plot). Look at the graph and answer:
- a) What is the median duration for each model?
- b) If a user needs the battery to last at least $18$ hours, which model has a higher proportion of devices that meet this requirement? Justify your answer using the quartiles.
- c) Which of the two models has a more spread-out distribution in the central $50\%$ of the data?
A histogram can be read backwards. With equal intervals, bar heights are proportional to frequencies, and a pie chart angle gives the fraction of the total.
Inverse problem. In the emergency department of a hospital in Galway, the waiting time (in minutes) of $120$ patients treated during one day has been recorded. The data…
Inverse problem. In the emergency department of a hospital in Galway, the waiting time (in minutes) of $120$ patients treated during one day has been recorded. The data have been grouped into four intervals of equal width: $[0, 15)$, $[15, 30)$, $[30, 45)$, and $[45, 60]$. The original data in the table have been lost, but we have the following clues from the graphs that were produced:
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In the pie chart, the central angle corresponding to the interval $[0, 15)$ measures exactly $54^\circ$.
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In the histogram, the height of the bar for the interval $[15, 30)$ is exactly three times the height of the bar for the interval $[45, 60]$.
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$70\,\%$ of the patients waited less than $30$ minutes in total.
- a) Deduce step by step the absolute frequency ($n_i$) of each of the four waiting time intervals.
- b) Determine the central angle in degrees corresponding to each interval in the pie chart so that it can be reconstructed accurately.
- c) Justify why, in the graphical representation of this continuous data, the bars must be drawn contiguous (touching each other) and what the base of each rectangle on the horizontal axis represents.
Do not join categories with no numerical order as if there were intermediate values between them.
In the histograms in this section, the intervals have the same width. If their widths were different, the heights would have to be adjusted so that the area, and not simply the height, represented the frequency. An interval with frequency zero is still drawn, with a bar of height zero, so the bars still follow on from each other: it does not mean that its values are impossible.
Back to the start: with a frequency table and a pie chart, the class rep could show the Christmas jumper votes at a glance.
Summary
The number of books read by students in a 2nd Year class during the first term was recorded. The data are:…
The number of books read by students in a 2nd Year class during the first term was recorded. The data are:
$1, 2, 0, 3, 1, 1, 2, 0, 1, 4, 2, 1, 1, 0, 2, 3, 1, 2, 1, 0, 5, 2, 1, 2, 1$.
- a) Draw up the table of frequencies and cumulative frequencies ($N_i$).
- b) What percentage of students read $2$ books or fewer?
- c) Draw a frequency polygon over the bar chart of the frequencies.
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
An e-sports club has carried out a study on the number of hours per week that its $120$ members spend training. We have the following partial data from the frequency…
An e-sports club has carried out a study on the number of hours per week that its $120$ members spend training. We have the following partial data from the frequency table, where the data have been grouped into intervals of the same width:
| Training hours | Absolute frequency ($n_i$) | Relative frequency ($f_i$) | Sector angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| $[0, 5)$ | $18$ | $?$ | $?$ |
| $[5, 10)$ | $?$ | $0.25$ | $?$ |
| $[10, 15)$ | $?$ | $?$ | $144^\circ$ |
| $[15, 20]$ | $?$ | $?$ | $?$ |
Complete the frequency table and represent the data using a histogram with a frequency polygon superimposed on it. State what percentage of members train $10$ hours or more per week.
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.