Graphical Representation of Data

One of the best ways of explaining statistical data is through graphs. A graphic
representation is the geometrical image of a set of data. It is a mathematical picture. A
picture is said to be more effective than words for describing a particular thing or
phenomenon. However, graphical representation of a frequency distribution is more effective
than tabular representation, being easily understandable even to a lay-man. Diagrams are
essential to convey the statistical information to the general public.

The advantages of graphic representation may be summarized as below:

1. The data can be presented in a more attractive from appealing to the eye.
2. It provides a more lasting effect on the brain.
3. Comparative analysis and interpretation may be effectively and easily made.
4. Various valuable statistics like median, mode, quartiles, may be easily computed.
5. The graphical representation helps in forecasting as it indicates the trend and
movements of the data in the past.

The following graphs are generally used in representing frequency distributions:

1. Histogram and Bar diagrams

2. Frequency Polygon and Frequency curve
3. Cumulative Frequency Curve or Ogive
4. Pie Chart

Histogram

The most common form of graphical presentation of a frequency distribution is the

histogram. In drawing histogram, the continuous classes are taken along horizontal axis and
the frequencies are taken along vertical axis. The class frequencies are plotted against the
respective classes. Each class has lower and upper values. This gives us two equal vertical
lines representing the frequency. Upper ends of the lines are joined together. This process
will give us as many rectangles as there are classes. The combination of all rectangles
constitutes a histogram.

Histogram
14
12
10
Frequency

8
6
4
2
0
10-'20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60 60-70
Classes

Figure 1: Histogram

1
 Bar diagram

Bar diagram is used mainly to represent discrete frequency distributions. Drawing process of
bar diagram is similar to that of histogram. For discrete variables a gap exists between the
upper limit of a class and the lower limit of the following class and the adjacent rectangles
are not attached to each other. The graph is known as bar diagram.

Bar diagram
14
12
Frequency

10
8
6
4
2
0
10-'19 20'-29 30-'39 40-'49 50-59 60-69
Classes

Figure 2.1: Bar Diagram

Bar Graph
A bar graph is a graphical device for presenting the information of a frequency distribution
for qualitative data. Bars of equal width are drawn to represent various classes (in this case,
grades). The height of each bar represents the frequencies of various classes. The bar
graph consists of vertical or horizontal bars of equal widths.

There are three types of bar charts, which are Simple, Component and Multiple Bar charts.
We will now look into each of them in details.

Example 1:

Grade Frequency Relative Percent

Frequency Frequency
A 4 4/20 = 0.20 20
B 11 11/20 = 0.55 55
C 5 5/20 = 0.25 25

Bar Graph of Grades

15
Frequency

10

0
A B C
Grades

Figure 2.2: Vertical Bar graph for the student's grades.

2
 C

Bar Graph of Grades

Grades
B

0 5 10 15
Frequency

Figure 2.3: Horizontal Bar graph for the student's grades.

Component Bar Chart

This exists when frequency can further be divided that is, there exist a sub-division within
the frequency.

Example 2:
Considering the example used for Simple Bar Chart, if the number of students can further
be classified by gender then we have:

Grade Frequency Male Female

A 4 2 2
B 11 6 5
C 5 3 2

Component Bar Chart

12
10
Frequency

8
6 Female
4 Male
2
0
A B C

Grades

Figure 2.4: Component Bar Chart

3
Multiple Bar Charts
In a multiple bar chart, two or more set of inter-related data are represented. The method
of simple bar chart is employed only that each bar is differentiated using different shades,
colours etc.

Example 3:
The information used for Component Bar chart is also employed to describe multiple bar
charts.

Grade Frequency Male Female

A 4 2 2
B 11 6 5
C 5 3 2

Multiple Bar Chart

8
Frequency

4 Male

2 Female

0
A B C
Grades

Figure 2.4: Multiple Bar Chart

The Frequency polygon

A frequency polygon is another graphical representation of a frequency distribution. The

frequency polygon is largely used for comparison of two or more distributions. In drawing
frequency polygon the mid-values of the continuous classes are taken along horizontal axis
and the frequencies are taken along vertical axis. The class frequencies are plotted against
the mid-values of the respective classes. The plotted consecutive points are then joined by
straight lines one after another. The two end-points are also joined to the x-axis at the mid-
points of the empty classes at each end of the frequency distribution. The figure so drawn is
the frequency polygon.

Frequency Polygon
40

30
Frequency

20

10
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
M id value

Figure 3: Frequency Polygon

4
The Frequency curve
If the number of observations is large and the length of class intervals can be reduced, the
frequency polygon will provide a smooth curve usually called frequency curve
Following are the four different types of frequency curves.

i) Symmetrical curve.
ii) Moderately asymmetrical or skew curve.
iii) Extremely asymmetrical or J-shaped curve.
iv) U-shaped curve.

Symmetrical curve

A frequency curve is said to be symmetrical if the frequency at the mid-position is maximum

and the rate of decrease from the peak point of the curve is same in both the sides.

20
Symmetrical curve

15

10

0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17

Figure 4: Symmetrical Curve

Extremely asymmetrical or J-shaped curve: A frequency curve is said to be J-shaped if

the maximum frequency occurs at the left end, then it gives a positively J-shaped curve. On
the other hand, if the maximum frequency occurs at the right end, then it gives a negatively
J-shaped curve.

U-shaped curve
A frequency curve is said to be U-shaped if it looks like the letter U. In this type of curve,
the maximum frequency occurs at both end of the distribution while the minimum at the
middle. The distribution of human death follows a U-shaped curve.

Moderately asymmetrical or skew curve:

A frequency curve is said to be skew if it lacks of symmetry i.e. the rate of decrease from
the peak point of the curve in both the sides is not equal.
There are two types of skew curves namely.
i) Positively Skew Curve
ii) Negatively Skew Curve

5
i) Positively Skew Curve: If a curve has a long tail on right side, it is called a positively
skewed curve.

Positively skewed curve

8
6
4
2
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13

Figure 4.1: Positively Skewed Curve

ii) Negatively Skew Curve: On the other hand, a curve having a long tail on the left is called
negatively skewed curve.

Negatively skewed curve

8
6

4
2
0
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15

Figure 4.2: Negatively Skewed Curve

Cumulative frequency curve or Ogive

A Cumulative frequency curve or Ogive is a graphical representation of a cumulative

frequency distribution. A free hand curve to smooth a cumulative frequency polygon is called
an ogive. Ogives determine median, quartiles, percentiles, etc. In drawing cumulative
frequency curve the class limits are taken along X-axis and cumulative frequencies along Y-
axis. The cumulative frequencies are plotted at the upper limits of the classes. The
successive points are then joined by a smooth free hand. This curve is known as ogive.

Ogive
50
40
Cumulative
Frequency

30
20
10
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Upper lLim it

Figure 5: Cumulative Frequency Curve or Ogive

6
There are two forms of ogive depending on the types of cumulative frequencies,
namely-

1. Less than ogive

2. More than ogive.

Less than ogive: The continuous class intervals are taken along X-axis and cumulative
frequencies along Y-axis. When cumulative frequencies in ascending order are plotted against
the upper limits of the class intervals and the points are then joined by a smooth free hand.
This curve is known as ‘less than ogive’.

Less than Ogive

50
40
Cumulative
Frequency

30
20
10
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Upper lLimit

Figure 5.1: Less than Ogive

More than ogive: The continuous class intervals are taken along X-axis and cumulative
frequencies along Y-axis. When cumulative frequencies in descending order are plotted
against the lower limits of the class intervals and the points are then joined by a smooth free
hand. This curve is known as ‘more than ogive’.

More than Ogive

50
40
Cumulative
Frequency

30
20
10
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Lower Limit

Figure 5.2: More than Ogive

7
Pie Chart

Pie Chart is used to display the frequency distribution. It displays the ratio of the
observations. It is a circle consists of a few sectors. The sectors represent the observations
while the area of the sectors represent the proportion of the frequencies of that
observations.

 Pie chart is a chart in which each frequency is converted to degree and is presented
on a circle, which is called pie chart. It is a graph in the shape of a circular pie.

 A pie chart is a pictorial device for presenting a relative frequency distribution of

qualitative data. The relative frequency distribution is used to subdivide a circle into
sections, where each section's size corresponds to the relative frequency of each
class.

Pie Chart for Grades

20%
25%

A
B
C

55%

Figure 6: Pie Chart for the student's grades.