GRAPHS

1. Line graphs
 Used to show relationship between sets of data or variables eg
temperature and altitude
 Has two axes, the horizontal(X) and the vertical (Y)
 Rule: identify the causative agent (one that causes the other to change)
ie the independent variable. The other is the dependant variable eg world
population changes through time. Time is the independent variable and
population is the dependent variable.
 Independent is plotted on the horizontal axis and dependent on the
vertical axis
NB The only exception is when one of the variables is altitude vs
temperature. Altitude is the independent variable but is plotted on the
vertical axis

TASK

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 Draw a line graph using the data below

Station Altitude Temperature

Nairobi, Kenya 1770 17
Cape Coast, Ghana 0 27
Yaonde, Cameroon 793 23
Luluaberg, Zaire 645 26
Entebe, Uganda 1177 21
Barumbu, Zaire 420 26
Equator, Kenya 2762 13
Lagos, Nigeria 3 27
Monrovia, Liberia 23 26

2. Bar graphs
 Consist of a number of proportional bars of equal width and variable
length
 Bars can be drawn vertically or horizontally
 Length of bars corresponds to the quantity represented. First bar should
not be on the Y-axis.
 One axis (vertical) must have a numerical value (figure/quantity) while the
other is simply a category eg crops, vehicles etc

Types

(a) Simple bar graphs

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TASK

Use the data below to draw a simple bar graph

Ethnic pop in RSA

Black 75.8%
White 13.0%
Coloured 8.7%
Asian 2.5%

(b) Multiple bar graph

 These are pairs of bars eg student population by gender at Mugure House

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 TASK

Use the data below of population by district in Mashonaland East, 2002 censes

District Male Female

Chikomba 57 087 63 161
Goromonzi 76 731 77 531
Hwedza 23 854 36 823
Marondera 51 718 51 112
Mudzi 60 373 67 801
Murehwa 78 037 84 130
Mutoko 63 392 68 876
Seke 38 963 37 960
UMP 49 865 54 471
Marondera urban 24 170 27 677
Ruwa 11 708 11973

(c) Compound bar graph

 Can be used to potray a greater array of data. The bar is divided into
segments to show several items. Items are in percentages and should add
up to 100%.
 The largest proportion first (at the bottom) and smallest last (at the top)

Bar graphs showing dependent population

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 TASK

Use a compound bar graph the represent the population structure by economic

activity shown below

Under 15 years 49.3%

Economically active 47.7%
65 years and above 3%

NB A divergent bar graph/median-line graph is where positive and negative values

are set against each other

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(d) Horizontal bars/population pyramids
 Show the relative importance of various age groups according to their sex
 A number of points should be noted:
(i) The data can refer to a whole country, a region, a town or any area.
(ii) The choice of age groups depends on the amount of detail that is needed
and available. All age groups should span the same number of years
except the last eg 65+; 75+ or 85+ etc
(iii) The scale along the bars of the pyramid can either be a % or numerical

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TASK

Draw an age/sex graph using data below

Percent Composition of population by Age Group and Sex; Zimbabwe 2002

Census

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 Age Group Male Female
0-4 7.21 7.20
5-9 6.57 6.61
10-14 6.49 6.51
15-19 6.33 6.59
20-24 4.85 5.66
25-29 4.07 4.42
30-34 3.18 3.10
35-39 2.03 2.31
40-44 1.67 2.06
45-49 1.42 1.64
50-54 1.10 1.49
55-59 0.85 0.97
60-64 0.81 0.85
65-69 0.55 0.58
70-74 0.52 0.54
75+ 0.62 0.79

(e) Pie chart/divided circle

 Used to show the relative importance of the component parts making up aa total
quantity.
 The total quantity is represented by a circle and its components by segments of
the circle.
 The size of each segment reflects the size of the component it represents.

Method of construction

 Find the components eg soil constituents, ethnic groups etc

 Add all the values eg total 400
 Convert each component to a percentage eg 80/400 x 100 =20%
 Calculate the angle which corresponds to this % out of 360 0
 Draw a circle proportional in area to the total quantity to be represented, or as
you wish.
 Draw a vertical line from the circle centre to the top of the circumference
 Draw in segments using a protractor measuring the angles calculated. Start
from the vertical and work in a clockwise direction. Draw the segments in order
of size (largest first)
 Shade the segments
 Add title and key

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 TASK

Botswana: wage earners in different sectors in 1978

Agriculture 6 650
Mining 3 200
Construction industry 5 730
Building industry 8 670
Commerce and finance 10650
Transport 2 200
Government 20 100
Health 4 500
Domestic employment 13 300
Other service occupations 5 000

(f) Triangular graphs

 Has three axes, each axis is the same length
 It has a scale from 0-100% and it forms an equilateral triangle
 Used when there are variables under consideration

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Important features

 Each axis is divided into 100 representing a %

 From each axis lines are drawn at an angle of 60 0 to carry the values across the
graph
 Data to be shown must be in the form of three components, each component
representing a % value and the three % values adding up to 100%
 All the grid lines for a particular sector are parallel to its base line and get
progressively smaller
 The relative positions of the points then gives a quick visual impression of the
relative dominance of one component
 Can be used to show the divisions of a country’s work force into primary,
secondary and tertiary; divisions of a country’s population into three age groups
i.e. under 15, economically active and adult dependency; contribution made by
thermal, hydro and nuclear power to a country’s electricity production; or soil
texture i.e. sand, clay and loam

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 TASK
Draw a triangular graph to show the work force of country B below
Primary 10%
Secondary 60%
Tertiary 30%

(g) Circular graphs/radial graphs/star graphs

 Used to potray data which are either continuous over time eg temperature
or can be measured on a scale of 0-3600 (wind direction)
 On a normal line graph (temperature) there is false break ie it starts on 1
January and ends on 31 December but on a circular graph there is no
such break
 There are two axes – the circumference of the circle and the radius
 Values eg temperature increase radially outwards
 The circumference is normally time (months) and this is divided into 360
so a month would be 300 of the circumference (3600/12)
 A circular graph is therefore a straight –line graph stretched out and bend
round.

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 Problem

 The easily appreciated rise and fall of a normal line graph is replaced by the idea
of a line moving away from or towards the circle centre
NB The closer the line is to the centre, the lower the value and the further away
it is the bigger the value.

Wind direction
 Wind rose diagrams are a type of radial graph.
 They provide a pictorial representation of wind direction.
 Plotting/recording involves adding one measurement to the diagram for each
day’s wind direction.
 Some show the number of calm days at the centre

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 TASK

Draw a wind rose for the month of October using information provide below

N 6
NE 11
E 5
SE 0
S 0
SW 0
W 3
NW 3

(h) Scatter graphs

 Show the relationship between two types of data which is shown as a series of
points but these are not joined up.
 Used when one wants to test a definite relationship or correlation between two
variables and one has data for many places eg population size and number of
services offered in all the settlements of a region; birth rate and standard of
living in 100 countries; precipitation and discharge in 20 rivers.

Types of correlation/relationships

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Definite positive correlation – when one variable increases the other increase as
well. Points lie on or very close to the best fit line

Low positive correlation

No correlation

Definite negative correlation – when one variable increases the other

decreases

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Regression line/best fit line – there should be an equal number of dots above
and below the line

TASK

The effect of altitude on temperature in Africa

Station Altitude Mean temperature

Nairobi, Kenya 1770 17
Cape Coast, Ghana 0 27
Yaonde, Cameroon 793 23
Luluaberg, Zaire 645 26
Entebbe, Uganda 1177 21
Barumbu, Zaire 420 26
Equator, Kenya 2762 13
Lagos, Nigeria 3 13
Monrovia, Liberia 23 26
Draw a regression line.

Describe the type of relationship/correlation.

END OF TOPIC

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