3 How to • • • • • • • • • How to Interpret Pictographs,

Histograms, and Special Graphs

Facts to Know
Graphs are effective tools used to compare data in clear, concise, visual terms.
Three of the most common graphs are bar graphs, circle graphs (pie charts), and line graphs.
Pictograph Multiple-line Graph
A pictograph uses pictures or symbols to compare A multiple-line graph compares two or more sets
data. It is useful for units where smaller numbers of data, which are changing over time. Two lines
or even blocks of data are used. A key indicates are usually used to compare how two events
the value of each symbol. Sometimes a symbol is might be related to each other and affect each
cut in half to indicate half of the amount. other over a period of time.
Number of Snacks Bought in a Ten-day Period
Survey by Category of Books Read by 18
200 8th Grade Students 16
fantasy 14

Number of Snacks
o

Tw
science fiction 12

ek
We
10
humor
8 k One
romance 6 Wee

true life 4
2
mystery
0 Sun
Mon.
Tues.
Wed.
Thurs.
Fri.
Sat.
Key = 10 books
Day of the Week
Double-Bar Graph Histogram
A double bar graph is used to compare two sets A histogram is a diagram, which often illustrates
of data within a given period of time or set of the frequency of an event and shows how data
circumstances. falls into different intervals. The intervals,
Minutes Devoted to Music and represented by rectangular bars, may be the same
Commercials at Radio Stations width or they may vary. Histograms are usually
During 30-minute Programming used with continuous data, which falls into
varying intervals.
24
22 U.S. Population Density
20 90
18 86
Number of Minutes

16 82
Per Square Mile

14 78
12 74
10 70
8 66
6 62
4 58
2 54
Key 0 50
= music KBIF KLAB KMAL KCLL KBBB 19601970 1980 1990 20002010*2020*
= commercials Radio Station *projected
13
 3 Practice • • • • • • • • • • • Working with Pictographs
and Histograms
A pictograph uses pictures or symbols to illustrate data comparisons. This pictograph illustrates the life
span of various types of garbage.
Life Span of Garbage
cardboard boxes
camera film Key
trash bags
pantyhose
= 5 years
soft-drink cans = 21⁄2 years
plastic bottles
coated cartons
leather shoes
Directions: Use the information on page 13 and this pictograph to answer these questions.
1. How many years does it take a cardboard box to decay? __________________________________
2. How many years does it take pantyhose to decay? _______________________________________
3. How many more years does it take plastic bottles to decay than it takes leather shoes? __________
4. Which two items take the longest to decay? ___________________________________________
How many years does each type take? __________
5. How long do plastic-coated cartons take to decay? ______________________________________
6. How would this pictograph help communicate the problems of landfills and the value of recycling
in this country? __________________________________________________________________
Directions: This histogram illustrates the frequency of graduation rates in a recent year and the states
where this frequency occurs.
Public High School
7. How many states have between 81% and 90% of its
students graduating? ____________________ Graduation Rates
22
8. How many states have between 51% and 60% of its
20
students graduating? ____________________
9. What percentage of students is graduating in 22 18
states? _______________________________
Number of States

16
10. How many states are represented in all? 14
_____________________________________ 12
11. About 65% of California’s public high school
10
students graduate. In what frequency is California
recorded on the graph? __________________ 8
12. Vermont is the state with the highest graduation rate 6
(89.9%). In what frequency is Vermont included on 51-60% 61-70% 71-80% 81-90%
the graph? ____________________________ Percentage of Graduate Students
13. How might this histogram be used by public
officials? _____________________________
14
 3 Practice • • • • • • Working with Double Bar Graphs
A double-bar graph is used to compare two sets of data. The double bar graph shown here illustrates
the percentage of male/female attendance at several major colleges in the United States.
Male/Female Attendance at Major Colleges
60%
58%
Key 56%
54%
= male 52%
50%
= female 48%
46%
44%
42%
40%

Pepperdine
NYU

USC

Michigan
State

Yale

Harvard

UC Irvine
UCLA

Directions: Use the information on page 13 and this graph to answer these questions.
1. What percentage of students at UCLA is male? ________ What percentage is female? ________
2. What percentage of students at Yale is male? _____ What percentage of students is female? ____
3. What percentage of students at NYU (New York University) is male? ________
What percentage is female? __________
4. In which two colleges is the percentage of male and female students almost the same? _________
5. Which college has the greatest disparity between the percentage of male and female students?
_______________________________
6. What is the total percentage of male and female attendance at each college? ______________
Why? __________________________________________________________________________
7. Using the graph as a representative of college attendance, are more males or more females
attending these colleges? _______________________
Directions: Study this double bar graph illustrating the points scored by two teams, the Bulldogs and
the Wildcats, in the four quarters of a football game.
Bulldogs/Wildcats Football Game
1 8. What was the Bulldogs’ best quarter? _______
6
9. What was the Wildcats’ best quarter? _______
1
4 10. How many total points did each team score in
Points Scored

1
the game? _____________________________
2 11. Which team got better in the first three quarters?
1 _____________________________________
0
12. How might a coach use this graph?
Key 8
_____________________________________
= bulldogs 6
_____________________________________
= wildcats 4 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
15
 3 Practice • • • • • Working with Multiple-line Graphs
A multiple-line graph compares two or more sets of data, which are changing over time.
This multiple-line graph illustrates the number of novel pages read each day for one week by two
language arts students, Alyssa and Greg.
Directions: Use the information on page 13 and this graph to answer the following questions.

1. How many pages did Greg read on Sunday? _________

2. How many pages did Alyssa read on Sunday? _______
Pages Read per Day
3. How many pages did Greg read on Friday? __________
for One Week
80 4. How many pages did Alyssa read on Friday? ________
70
Number of Pages Read

5. On which day did Greg read the fewest pages? _______

60
6. On which day did Alyssa read the fewest pages? _____
50
40 7. Which student read the most pages during the week?
30 _____________________________________________
20
8. How many more pages did Alyssa read than Greg on
10
Monday? _____________________________________
0
9. On which three days did Alyssa read exactly five pages
Thurs.
Tues.
Mon.

Wed.
Sun.

Sat.
Fri.

more than Greg? _______________________________

Day of the Week 10. How many total pages did Alyssa read? ____________
11. How many total pages did Greg read? ______________
Key
= Alyssa 12. Which student was more consistent in doing the assigned
= Greg reading?______________________________________

Directions: Study this graph illustrating how many minutes Sarah and Catherine practiced playing
the piano in a period of six weeks. Answer the questions below.

Minutes of Piano Practice 13. How many minutes did Sarah practice the first week?
Each Week for Six Weeks ____________________________________________
14. How many minutes did Catherine practice the first
Number of Pratice Minutes

week? _______________________________________
90
75 15. How many minutes did Sarah practice for the entire six
weeks? ______________________________________
60
45 16. How many minutes did Catherine practice for the entire
30 six weeks? ___________________________________
15 17. Which student practiced more in the sixth week?
0 ____________________________________________
18. Did Catherine become a better or worse piano student
2nd
1st

4th
5th
6th
3rd

during the six weeks?________ Explain.

Week
Key ____________________________________________
= Sarah
____________________________________________
= Catherine
16
 2 How to • • • • • • • • • How to Use and Interpret Bar,
Circle, and Line Graphs
Facts to Know
Graphs are effective tools used to compare data in clear, concise, visual terms.
Three of the most common graphs are bar graphs, circle graphs (pie charts), and line graphs.

Graphing Terms
• The range is the difference between the least and the greatest values in a set of data.
(2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 12)
12 – 2 = 10
The range is 10.
• The scale is the set of values or numbers along the side of a graph.
• The interval is the regular difference between each unit on the scale. The interval is always the
same between each unit of the scale.
• The axes are the two labeled lines, one vertical and one horizontal, along the sides of a graph.
The scale runs along one of the axes.
Land Use in the United States
Single Bar Graphs

Percentage of Land Use

35
30
Single bar graphs offer a clear, visual presentation
25
of facts. Bar graphs may be either vertical or 20
horizontal. The names of the items being compared 15
are listed, one in each block, along the bottom axis 10
of the bar graph. The scale is marked in even 5
intervals along the vertical axis. 0 Meadows/

Forests/
Woodlands
Permanent
Crops
Other
Farmland

Pastures

Books Read by 6th Grade Students

Single Line Graphs 140
Single line graphs are often used to compare change 130
Number of Books

120
over time or the frequency of an event. The time 110
intervals or items being compared are marked along 100
the horizontal axis of the line graph. The scale is 90
marked in even intervals along the vertical axis. 80
70
60
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.

Racial Distribution in U.S. Population

Circle Graphs (Pie Charts)
Circle graphs, or pie charts, demonstrate how a
whole is split into individual parts. 80% White
The parts are rarely equal. The size of the angle
shows how one part compares to another. They are
usually expressed in percentages of the whole,
based on 100%. Labels, listing names and 4% Other
12%
African 1% Native American
amounts, are written on the slices of the graph. American 3% Asian

9
 2 Practice • • • • • • • Working with Single Bar Graphs
56
This single bar graph shows the number of electoral

Number of Electoral Votes

52
votes for each of the 10 most populated states. The 48
states are labeled in blocks along the horizontal axis. 44
The number of electoral votes is indicated on the 40
vertical axis. There are 538 electoral votes distributed 36
32
among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. 28
They are elected by the people in each state to 24
officially vote for the president of the United States. 20
It takes 270 electoral votes to win an election. 16
12

New York
California
Florida
Illinois
Michigan
New Jersey

North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Texas
Directions: Use the information on page 9 and
the graph to answer these questions.
1. How many electoral votes does California have? ____________
2. How many electoral votes does Texas have? _______________ State
3. What is the interval between numbers on the scale? _____________________________________
4. How many electoral votes does New Jersey have?_______________________________________
5. What is the difference in the number of votes between Michigan and Illinois? ________________
6. Which state has exactly one more electoral vote than Texas? ______________________________
7. What is the total number of electoral votes of the 10 most populated states? __________________
8. How many electoral votes are distributed among the remaining 40 states and the District of
Columbia? ______________________________________________________________________
9. Why would a candidate spend more time campaigning in California than in North Carolina?
_______________________________________________________________________________
10. How many more votes than these 10 states would be needed to win a presidential election?
_______________________________________________________________________________
11. Which two pairs of states have the same number of electoral votes as California?
_______________________________________________________________________________
12. Why did the intervals start with 12 votes? _____________________________________________
13. What could be misleading about this graph? ___________________________________________

Number of Fast Food Visits in One Week

Extension
Name Frequency Name Frequency
Ten students at Arrow Valley Middle School
John 3 Freddy 5
were surveyed to determine the number of
times they went to a fast food restaurant in Sherry 6 Elaine 1
one week. This table shows the results. Use Jimmy 10 Ginette 4
the information to create a single bar graph. Alex 0 Harry 3
Marianne 2 Hector 7
10
 2 Practice • • • • • • • • • • Working with Circle Graphs
This circle graph illustrates which elements are most abundant in the earth’s crust.
Directions: Use the information on page 9 and the circle graph to answer these questions.
1. Which is the most abundant element in the
Elements as a
earth’s crust? _________________________
Percentage of the Earth’s Crust
2. Which two elements make up three-fourth’s
of the earth’s crust? ____________________
____________________________________ 28%
Silicon
3. Which two elements together are equal to the
amount of aluminum in the earth’s crust? er
9% Oth
____________________________________ 47%
Oxygen 3.5% Calcium
4. Where would carbon, hydrogen, and sodium
be included? __________________________ 4.5% Iron
5. Which element makes up almost half of the 8% Aluminum
earth’s crust? _________________________

This circle graph illustrates the percentages of each major element in the human body.

6. Which element makes up more than half of

the human body? ______________________
7. How much higher is the percentage of carbon Major Elements as a
than the percentage of nitrogen? __________ Percentage of the Human Body
8. What percentage of the human body do the
three major elements total? ______________
9. On the graph, where do you think copper,
phosphorus, and iron are included? 65% Oxygen

____________________________________
2% Other
10. What body compound would have much of 2% Calcium
the hydrogen and oxygen? _______________ Hyd10% 3% Nitrogen
18% rog
en
11. Why is this type of graph so easy to use? Carbon
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________

Extension
• Survey 10 members of your class to determine their favorite pizza topping.
Convert each topping to a percentage. (If three of the ten students prefer pepperoni, that is 30%
of the total. If one student prefers cheese, that is 10% of the total.)
• Create a circle graph illustrating the results of your survey.
11
 2 Practice • • • • • • • • • • • Working with Line Graphs
The two line graphs indicate the number of hours spent on homework for two 8th grade students.
Number of Hours Spent on Homework in One Week

Carlos Janet
8 8
6 6
5 5
Number of Hours

Number of Hours
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
0 0
Mon.
Tues.
Wed.

Fri.
Sat.
Sun.

Mon.
Tues.
Wed.
Thurs.
Fri.
Sat.
Thurs.

Sun.
Days of the Week Days of the Week

Directions: Use the information on page 9 and the two graphs above to answer these questions.
1. How many hours did Carlos spend doing homework on Tuesday? __________________________

2. How many hours did Janet spend doing homework on Tuesday? ___________________________

3. On which day did neither student do any homework? ____________________________________

4. Both students had a huge science project due the Monday of next week. Which student put it off
until the end? __________________________

5. Which student is more likely to use time effectively? __________Why? _____________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

6. How many hours did Janet spend on homework this week?________________________________

7. How many hours did Carlos spend on homework this week? ______________________________

8. How many hours of homework a day did Carlos average over seven days? ___________________

Extensions
• On Monday, Justin rode his scooter for 2 1⁄2 hours. He spent the following amounts of time on his
scooter for the next six days: 3 hours, 1 1⁄2 hours, 1⁄2 hour, 2 hours, 5 1⁄2 hours, and 4 hours. Make a
single line graph to illustrate how much time Justin rode each day of the week.
• Make a table estimating how many hours you slept in the last seven days. Then create a single-
line graph from this table.

12
 –z 2
4 m • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Answer Key
2
x

12. candy jellies 11. 61-70%

1. 13. apples and raisins 12. 81-90%
Dots 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
14. sweets 13. Answers will vary.
Frequency 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 0 1 0 7 1

15. 141
2. 23 pennies; 9 nickels;
16. $70.50 1. 47% male; 53% female
15 dimes; 4 quarters 2. 51% male; 49% female
0 half dollars 3. 41% male; 59% female
Answers will vary. 1. 54 4. USC and Yale
2. 32 5. NYU
3. 4 6. 100%; Students must be either
1.
sprints relay long jump sit-ups pull-ups
4. 15 male or female.
6th grade boys 5
4
2 3 3 2 5. 2 7. more females
6th grade girls 3 3 2 1
7th grade boys 6 4 5 4 4
6. New York 8. 2nd quarter
7th grade girls 5 6 4 3 3
8th grade boys 3 3 2 5 3
7. 257 9. 3rd quarter
8th grade girls 4 2 2 2 2

8. 281 10. Bulldogs 30; Wildcats 34

2. 7th grade boys 11. Wildcats
3. 7th grade; The boys and girls won 9. There are more votes in California.
12. To see how his team played as the
the most medals. 10. 13
game progresses. (Answers will
4. pull-ups; The fewest medals were 11. Illinois and Texas; New York and vary.)
awarded. Ohio
12. All states have at least 12 votes.
5. 54 1. 30 pages 10. 410 pages
13. The graph can make the total of
6. 46 2. 50 pages 11. 300 pages
Californiaʼs votes look many
7. times greater than that of the 3. 65 pages 12. Alyssa
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
smaller states. There is a 4. 70 pages 13. 90 minutes
1 0 1 3 4 5 3 3 2 1 1
distortion due to the scale. 5. Wednesday 14. 45 minutes
8. 3 6. Monday 15. 375 minutes
9. 7 7. Alyssa 16. 365 minutes
1. oxygen 6. oxygen
10. 2, 4, 11, 12 8. 15 pages 17. Catherine
2. oxygen and silicon 7. 15%
11. 6 and 7; These combinations are 9. Tuesday, 18. better; She
3. calcium and iron 8. 93%
the most common rolls. Friday, and practiced more
4. other 9. Other
Answers will vary. Saturday regularly.
5. oxygen 10. water
11. It is visual and easy to read.
1. Answers will vary. 1. (9, 12, 14, 16, 16, 19, 22, 23, 28)
2. Mode: 16
Room 12
Mon.
3
Tues.
2
Wed.
1
Thurs.
2
Fri.
4 1. 3 6. 16.5 hrs. Yes, it is in the middle and the
Room 13
Room 14
5
2
3
1
2
0
3
0
6
2 2. 3 7. 17.25 hrs. median is the same.
Room 15
Room 16
3
1
3
1
1
1
0
1
1
3 3. Friday 8. 2.5 hrs. Median: 16
Room 17
Room 18
2
4
0
1
0
0
3
1
2
4 4. Carlos Yes, it matches the mode and is
20 11 5 10 22
5. Janet; Her work is done more close in value to most of the
2. 68 regularly. numbers.
3. Room 14 Answers will vary. 2. (7, 9, 10, 10, 11, 14, 14, 15, 18,
20, 21, 31, 38)
4. Wednesday
Mode: 10, 14
5. Monday and Friday 1. 20 years No, the number 10 is too close to
6. Answers will vary. 2. 40 years the first numbers. 14 is more
7. 11 3. 35 years representative.
8. Room 13 4. cans and bottles; 85 years Median: 14
5. 7 1/2 years No, there are many greater
9. 9 11. apples 2
juice 6
6. It shows how long it takes garbage numbers after 14.
10. Room 12 and to disintegrate. Answers will vary.
colas 31 3. (19, 25, 28, 28, 32, 44, 48, 48, 51,
Room 16; There candy bar 33 7. 8 states
chips 24
57, 64, 70)
was at least one 8. 8 states
peanuts 7 Mode: 28, 48
absence per day. 9. 71–80%
raisins 3 No, 28 is too near the first numbers;
candy jellies 35 10. 50 states
46
 –z 2
4 m
2
x • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Answer Key
48 is more representative. 2. Mode: 23 Median: 23 Page 26
Median: 46 Mean: 23.3 (23) 1. skateboarding 4. 16.7% (17%)
Yes, it’s about in the middle of the Most representative: 23 2. aerobics and 5.
values. Reason: They are all the same. biking;
4. (31, 37, 39, 40, 40, 47, 47, 47, 48, 3. Mode: 8 Median: 8 cheerleading
49, 49, 49, 61, 70) Mean: 8.3 (8) and walking
Mode: 47 and 49 Most representative: all 3. 60
Yes, 47 is near the center. 49 is Reason: They all are the same
less representative because it is value. Page 27
nearer to the end of the series. 4. Mode: 46 Median: 49 1. 8
Median: 47 Mean: 51.9 (52) 2. It should have shown the entire
Yes, it is representative because it Most representative: mean and scale, if possible.
is in the center and the same as median 3. There was not enough space.
one mode. Reason: They are closer to the 4. no
Page 19 center of the numbers in terms of 5. no
1. Total: 6,988 value.
Extension: Answers will vary.
Divide by: 10 5. Mode: 23 Median: 29.5
Mean: 32.2 (32) Page 28
Mean: 698.8 (699)
Most representative: median and 1. (0, 1, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7,
Yes, it is representative because
mean 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9,
most of the numbers are 600s and
Reason: The mode is too near the 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 10, 10, 10, 10, 12)
700s.
2. Total: 65 first values; The others are 2. 7 students
Divide by: 9 representative of the numbers. 3. 1 student
Mean: 7.2 (7) Page 22 4. 1 student
No, the number of moons is very 1. 5 to 10 hrs. 5. (0, 1, 12)
variable. 2. 1 to 3 hrs. 6. 7, 9
3. Total: 277 3. yes
7. 7.5
Divide by: 14 4. strong
Mean: 19.8 (20) 5. positive 8. 7 (7.1)
Yes, many of the numbers are 6. (trend line 9. Yes
near 20. on graph) 10. Yes. All of the measures are
4. Total: 1,113 similar and close in value.
Page 23
Divide by: 14 Extension: Answers will vary.
1. 7 shots
Mean: 79.5 (80) 2. 2 shots Page 30
Yes, it is relatively representative 3. yes 1. 6
of the numbers; a good average. 4. strong
5. Total: 2,595 5. negative
Divide by: 12 6. (trend line on graph)
Mean: 216.3 (216) 7. 7 or 8 shots
Yes, many of the numbers are in 8. (trend line on graph)
or near the low 200s. 2. ABCD BACD CABD DABC
9. weak correlation
6. Total: 112 ABDC BADC CADB DACB
10. strong
Divide by: 16 11. likely ACBD BCAD CBAD DBCA
Mean: 7
Page 24 ACDB BCDA CBDA DBAC
Yes, it matches the mode and is
near the center between 2 and 12. 1. ADCB BDAC CDBA DCAB
ADBC BDCA CDAB DCBA
Page 20
3. 4! = 4 x 3 x 2 x 1; 24
1. Mode: 13 Median: 13
Mean: 9.6 (10) 4. 5! = 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1; 120
Most representative: mode and 5. 6! = 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1; 720
median 6. 7! = 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x 3 x 2 x 1;
Reason: They reflect the values 5,040
best and are midway between high 7. 10! = 10 x 9 x 8 x 7 x 6 x 5 x 4 x
and low values. 3 x 2 x 1; 3,628,800
47