Unit 3 - Activity 4 - Visual Representation of Data Worksheet

When you conduct a study, you ask questions or take measurements that produce data (unprocessed
information collected from a study).

To extract information from collected data: (make it more meaningful)

1. Graph it
2. Make some calculations

The graph used depends on the number of variables (quantities being measured) and the types of data.
There are different data types:
1. Discrete or Continuous
2. Ordinal, Categorical or Interval

Discrete - can only have certain separate values Continuous - any value in a given range
E.g. usually integers (counted values) E.g. time, distance (measured values)

Ordinal Categorical Interval

Ordered Categories Number of measured values is
E.g. time, date, measurement e.g. colours, vote selection large, so data is grouped into
intervals
e.g. salaries, ages

Some common visual representations of data (i.e. graphs):

Pie Graph (Pie Chart)  # of variables: 1

 Data type: discrete or
continuous, categorical
 Used to show parts of a
whole

Scatter Plot  # of variables: 2

 Data type: continuous or
discrete, ordinal only
 Used to identify relationships
between two variables
Histogram  # of variables: 1
 Data type: continuous or
discrete, ordinal/interval
 Used to compare distribution
of data and to organize large
quantities of data

Bar and Line Graphs  # of variables: 1+

 Data type: discrete only,
ordinal/categorical (Bar),
ordinal (line)
 Good for small amounts of
data

Frequency Polygon  Line graph of a histogram

 Shows changes in frequency
from one interval to the next

Relative Frequency Polygon  y-axis differs from Frequency

Polygon, but retains the
same shape
 Shows the changes in
frequency relative to total

Cumulative Frequency Polygon  Shows the rate of change of

frequency from one interval
to the next as well as the
total frequency

Questions to think about:

What is the difference between a histogram and a bar graph?

What is the difference between a frequency polygon, a relative frequency polygon and a cumulative
frequency polygon?