What should bar graphs be used for

One disadvantage of vertical bar charts, however, is that they lack space for text labelling at the foot of each bar. When category labels in the chart are too long, you might find a horizontal bar chart better for displaying information, like the example in Chart 5. There are several other types of bar chart that you may encounter. The population pyramid is a special application of a grouped bar chart. Another useful type of bar chart is the stacked bar chart.

The stacked bar chart is a preliminary data analysis tool used to show segments of totals. The stacked bar chart can be very difficult to analyze if too many items are in each stack. It can contrast values, but not necessarily in the simplest manner. It is easy to see at a glance what percentage of time each woman spent on an event. Had this been a chart representing a decathlon with 10 events the data would have been significantly harder to analyze.

Please contact us and let us know how we can help you. Table of contents. Bar charts can also show big changes in data over time. Bar Graph vs Line Graph Bar graphs display data in a way that is similar to line graphs.

When to Use a Bar Graph Bar graphs are an effective way to compare items between different groups. Types of a Bar Graph When presenting data visually, there are several different styles of bar graphs to consider.

Vertical Bar Graph The most common type of bar graph is the vertical bar graph. Horizontal Bar Graph Converting the vertical data to a horizontal bar chart solves this problem. Stacked Bar Graph The stacked bar graph is a visual that can convey a lot of information.

Make sure that you select the type of graph that best presents the data you want to emphasize. How to Create a Bar Graph Step one is making sure you have data formatted the correct way for a bar graph.

Choose your data file to import and SmartDraw will automatically generate your bar graph. They can be used to track changes over time for one or more groups. Area graphs are good to use when you are tracking the changes in two or more related groups that make up one whole category for example public and private groups. X-Y plots are used to determine relationships between the two different things. The x-axis is used to measure one event or variable and the y-axis is used to measure the other.

The first graph is a regular bar graph with one group of data. The second graph has two groups of data that are stacked. The last graph is another graph with two groups of data, but they are presented side by side instead of stacked.

The legend tells us what each bar represents. Just like on a map, the legend helps the reader understand what they are looking at. Legend examples can be found in the second and third graphs above. Fun Graphing Exercise! Building Bar Graphs Bar graphs can be used to show how something changes over time or to compare different times. The Title The title offers a short explanation of what is in your graph.