Using Graphs to Advertise 90%

Suppose you were designing a line graph that was going to be printed in Time magazine. Your editor has warned against misleading your audience in any way. What items will you try to avoid when creating your graph?

Always avoid doing unnecessary things. like changing the zero or using logarithmic scale (and if you use them, mention it), if the graph contains more than one line, then use different colors or dots and label every line. Also, comparative graphs should always be in the same scale.

Consider the following graph, which details the population of a city over time. A line graph titled Population (thousands) has year on the x-axis and number on the y-axis. The points are connected by a line that gradually increases. What aspect of the graph is likely being emphasized by the choice of graph style, choice of scale, and so on? a. the sharp differences between individual data points b. the disjoint nature of the data collected c. the strong distinction between each year's data d. the extended, continual growth of the population

NOT: c. the strong distinction between each year's data

What are some ways in which graphs can mislead or misinform readers?

We consider graphs deceptive if they purposely create an incorrect impression. The most common graphical misrepresentations of data involve the scale of the graph, an inconsistent scale, or a misplaced origin.

Jeff likes to grow zucchini. He has made a graph of the total number of zucchini his garden has produced this season, which can be seen below. How many zucchini did Jeff's garden produce between June 9 and June 15? a. 10 b. 20 c. 24 d. 36

a. 10

What is the difference between a line graph and a scatter plot? a. A line graph presents continuous and linked data, while a scatter plot presents unlinked data. b. A line graph is a smooth curve, while a scatter plot can have jumps or gaps. c. A line graph shows data from one source, while a scatter plot shows data from many sources. d. A line graph uses both the x- and y-axes, while a scatter plot only uses the y-axis.

a. A line graph presents continuous and linked data, while a scatter plot presents unlinked data.

Consider the following graph, which shows a bookstore's sales over the course of one day. By percent, how much smaller does the sale of horror books appear to be than the sale of fantasy books? How much smaller is it in reality? a. Horror sales appear to be only 50% of fantasy sales, but they are actually only about 8% smaller. b. Horror sales appear to be only 80% of fantasy sales, but they are actually only about 4% smaller. c. Horror sales appear to be only 67% of fantasy sales, but they are actually only about 15% smaller. d. Horror sales appear to be only 20% of fantasy sales, but they are actually only about 13% smaller.

a. Horror sales appear to be only 50% of fantasy sales, but they are actually only about 8% smaller.

What kind of graph is shown below? a. bar graph b. histogram c. scatter plot d. line graph

d. line graph

By percent, how much greater do sales of horror books appear to be than sales of cookbooks? How much greater are they in reality? a. There appear to be 50% more sales of horror books than cookbooks, but there are really only about 20% more. b. There appear to be 40% more sales of horror books than cookbooks, but there are really only about 5% more. c. There appear to be 20% more sales of horror books than cookbooks, but there are really only about 10% more. d. There appear to be 25% more sales of horror books than cookbooks, but there are really only about 2% more.

a. There appear to be 50% more sales of horror books than cookbooks, but there are really only about 20% more.

What kind of graph is shown below? a. bar graph b. histogram c. line graph d. pictograph

a. bar graph

Kate recorded what she ate for breakfast every day for six months. Her findings are shown in the graph below. If Kate were to transfer this data to the pie chart shown below, which segment would contain the data for cereal? a. 27% b. 19% c. 21% d. 22%

b. 19%

Consider the following graph, which details a retailer's profits over the course of several years. Of the following, which option or options would help make this graph less misleading? I. The y-axis should be labeled. II. The scale on the y-axis should be resized. III. The scale on the x-axis should be resized. a. I only b. I and II c. II only d. I, II, and III

b. I and II

Which of the three following graphs display the same data? I. II. III. a. I and II b. I and III c. II and III d. I, II, and III

b. I and III

Consider the following graph, which details the observed bear population in two national parks. Of the following, which option or options would help make this graph less misleading? I. The scale on the x-axis should be resized. II. The scale on the y-axis should be resized. III. The identity of the two parks should be more clearly differentiated. a. I and II b. II and III c. III only d. I and III

b. II and III

The two graphs shown below detail the results of two independent response polls studying favorite movie genres. Which genre had the same number of votes in each study? a. action b. horror c. mystery d. not enough information

b. horror

Rachel has just completed a study of precipitation in three different locations over the course of a year. The data she wishes to present in graph form is shown in the table below, with precipitation listed in inches. Rachel wants her graph to emphasize the relation of each city's precipitation to each other city's at each point in time. What kind of graph would be appropriate? a. bar graph b. line graph c. pictograph d. histogram

b. line graph

What kind of graph is characterized by presenting data values as portions of a circle? a. scatter plot b. pie chart c. histogram d. pictograph

b. pie chart

The table shown below details the observed amount of electricity consumed by the average American over the course of one year, as measured in kilowatt-hours. Kevin is trying to display this information in the form of a graph. He would like the graph to look like the one below. What scale should Kevin use on the y-axis to display the information on the table like the graph? a. 500 kWh per mark b. 100 kWh per mark c. 50 kWh per mark d. 10 kWh per mark

c. 50 kWh per mark

The following graph shows a bus's record of the number of passengers it picked up over the course of a day. How many people rode the bus over the course of the day? a. 75 b. 438 c. 570 d. 900

c. 570

Which of the following is not a method used on graphs to lead the reader to misinterpret the graph? a. Use inconsistent scales on one or both axes. b. Reverse the x- and y-axes to obtain a more convincing graph. c. Comparing two sets of related data on the same graph for the sake of comparison. d. Begin the scale of one or both axes at a number other than zero without notifying the reader.

c. Comparing two sets of related data on the same graph for the sake of comparison.

What kind of graph is characterized by presenting values as coordinate points without any connecting element? a. bar graph b. line graph c. scatter plot d. histogram

c. scatter plot

Consider the following graph, which shows a store's sales of fruit over the course of one week. How could this graph be misleading? a. The units of measurement are unclear. b. The data should be presented in increasing or decreasing order. c. There might be other kinds of fruit that the graph does not list. d. The scale on the y-axis is very small.

d. The scale on the y-axis is very small.

Consider the following graph, which indicates collected data on the weight of a certain species of swallow and the number of leaves it weaves into its nest. What aspect of this graph is likely being emphasized by the choice of graph style, choice of scale, and so on? a. the unrelated nature of the data b. the broad differences over short intervals c. the total values of the data as a whole d. the indirect connection between weight and leaf content

d. the indirect connection between weight and leaf content