Topics
10. Data
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AustraliaVIC
Level 4

10.05 Effective data displays

Lesson
Practice
Lesson

Are you ready?

Do you know how to read  tables  ,  picture graphs  ,  column graphs  ?

Examples

Example 1

A grocery store created the following pie graph of fruit sold in their store:

A pie graph that shows the percentage of fruits purchased. Ask your teacher for more information.
a

What is the least common fruit sold?

A
Apples
B
Blueberries
C
Limes
D
Oranges
Worked Solution
Create a strategy

Find the smallest percentage from the pie graph.

Apply the idea

We can see that the smallest percentage is 8\%\, for limes.

So, the least common fruit sold is limes which is option C.

b

What is the second most common fruit sold?

A
Apples
B
Oranges
C
Grapes
D
Blueberries
Worked Solution
Create a strategy

Find the second largest percentage from the pie graph.

Apply the idea

We can see that the second largest percentage is 27\%\, for apples.

So, the second most common fruit sold is apples which is option A.

Idea summary

We can compare sections of a pie graph by either comparing the size of the pieces, or by comparing the numbers that are on each piece.

Effective data displays

This video explores different types of graphs, and things to think about when you want to how to display data.

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Examples

Example 2

The table shows Year 5's answers to the survey question "Do you own a pet?".

What is the best way to display this data?

Yes94
No16
A
Picture graph
B
Pie graph
Worked Solution
Create a strategy

Use the fact that a picture graph is used to show values represented by a picture while a pie graph is used to compare the size of parts in a whole group.

Apply the idea

Since we are only comparing two votes, the best way to represent this is by using a pie graph. So the correct answer is option B.

Idea summary

Particular graphs will be more appropriate for different types of data. If we only have data for a two categories, then a pie graph is most appropriate.

Different types of graphs

This video explores things to think about when you are choosing what type of graph suits the data you want to display.

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Examples

Example 3

This column graph and pie graph show the number of times that each type of sport is played.

A column graph that shows the number of sports played. Ask your teacher for more information.
A pie chart that shows the number percentage of sports played. Ask your teacher for more information.
a

In which display is it easier to see the sport that was played the most?

A
Pie chart
B
Column graph
Worked Solution
Create a strategy

In the column graph we need to look for the column that is the greatest and for the pie chart we need to look for the biggest section.

Apply the idea

It is easier to see the sport that was played the most in the pie chart which is option A.

b

In which display is it easier to see the sports that were played a similar amount of times?

A
Pie chart
B
Column graph
Worked Solution
Create a strategy

In the column graph we need to look for the columns that are a similar height and for the pie chart we need to look for the sections that are a similar size.

Apply the idea

It is easier to find the sports that were played a similar number of times in the column graph which is option B.

Idea summary

Different graphs are useful to display different types of data.

Outcomes

VCMSP180

Evaluate the effectiveness of different displays in illustrating data features including variability

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