Common Types of Graphs

For example, if you wanted to

display relationships between

data in categories, you could

make a bar graph. Microsoft

Excel calls a bar graph with

vertical bars a column graph

and a bar graph with

horizontal bars a bar graph.

A line graph shows a line;

usually with an equation.

Lines can be either straight or

curved.

A pie chart would show you how categories

in your data relate to the whole set.

Scatter plots are a good way to display

data points.

A bubble chart is another good way to display data points.

A histogram is a way to

display data counts with data

organized into bins.

A Pareto chart plots the

distribution of the data in

descending order of

frequency, with a cumulative

line on a secondary axis as a

percentage of the total.

A waterfall chart shows the

cumulative effect of a series

of positive and negative

values. Use it to show the

cumulative effect of

sequential values.

A box and whiskers graph (also

called a box plot) is useful for

showing the five number summary.

Pictographs, also called

pictograms, are diagrams that show

and compare data by using picture

symbols. Each of these symbols

corresponds to a specific quantity

and is repeated a number of times.

The media often uses pictographs to

compare trends.

Organizational charts, also called

organization charts or org charts,

are diagrams that reveal the overall

structure of the workforce of a

company.

Flowcharts are types of graphs that display

a schematic process. Contemporary flow

charts are modelled after the logic behind

early computer games. Businesses often use

them to visually depict all the stages of a

project.