task 1.26 Common Types of Graphs

a bar graph

is used to display relationships between data in categories.

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

shows how categories in your data relate to the whole set

scatter plots

a good way to display data points

a bubble chart

a good way to display data points

a histogram

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.

is used 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)

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 (organization charts/ org chart)

diagrams that reveal the overall structure of the workforce of a company

flowcharts

types of graphs that display a schematic process. Contemporary flowcharts are modelled after the logic behind early computer games. Businesses often use them to visually depict all the stages of a project.