Picture graphs
A picture graph represents data with symbols and pictures. Also called a “Pictograph”, it is a method of visually representing data. To define a pictograph, we can say that it is a picture graph that includes a visual representation of data that involves symbols, icons, and pictures to depict various quantities. It’s a unique and entertaining way to present data! However, it is not entirely accurate.
A picture graph’s symbols, icons, and pictures usually represent concepts or ideas, or they can be used to represent a larger quantity of something.
A single stick man on a picture graph, for example, could represent a million people in a city. Picture graphs are still used and are seen on a daily basis to organize, represent, and interpret data.
For example, here we are looking at a picture graph of the money collected in a month by four boys, by putting up a lemonade stall to donate to a charity:
Note that each picture of a dollar ($) represents $1.
So, the picture graph is showing:
1. A total of 42 dollars was collected by all of the boys.
2. Carter accumulated a larger sum of money than Andrew (9 dollars).
3. John and Andrew made a total of $24 from their lemonade sales.
4. Andrew made more money than Logan, but not as much as Carter.
Advantages and disadvantages of Picture graphs
Advantages:
It’s simple to use and can handle a large amount of data. It’s a unique and entertaining way to present data.
Disadvantages:
Pictographs, on the other hand, have a problem showing partial icons. This is because it’s a very simple type of graph, there isn’t an option to display more complex data sets with it. Finally, it only works well with two to six categories, as we can’t see the data between the points.
Bar graph
A bar graph (also called a bar chart or a bar diagram) is a visual tool that compares data between categories using rectangular bars. A bar graph can be horizontal or vertical in orientation. The important thing to remember is that the longest bar represents the greatest value. For labeling and reference points we need two lines to be marked. A horizontal line, which shows the data categories, and a vertical line, which shows the number of things/objects/population in scale, or data values. Bar graphs are a useful tool to compare items in different groups.
In presentations and reports, bar graphs are an extremely effective visual, as they are popular for making it much easier for the reader to spot patterns or trends than a table of numerical data.
There are three main characteristics of bar graphs:
1. A bar graph allows you to quickly compare data sets from different groups.
2. On one axis, the graph represents categories, and on the other, a discrete value. The goal is to demonstrate the connection between the two axes.
3. Bar graphs can also be used to depict significant changes in data over time.
Advantages and disadvantages of Bar graphs
Advantages:
Each data category is displayed in a frequency distribution. Multiple categories and relative numbers and proportions are also displayed. Graphs with bars summarize a large amount of information in a visual, easy-to-understand format. Bar graphs also make it easier to spot trends than it is to do so with tables. Estimates can be made in a timely and precise manner, and such graphs allow for visual guidance on calculation accuracy and reasonableness.
Disadvantages:
Bar graphs frequently necessitate further explanation. Key assumptions, causes, impacts, and patterns are not revealed by bar graphs. Bar graphs can also be easily manipulated to create misleading results.
Helpful Resources for Kids
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Examples on Pictographs and Bar Graphs
1) A clown gave gifts to Steven, Gloria, Andrew, and Jessica during a birthday party. Answer the questions using the pictograph.
Note that each picture of a 
represents 1 gift.
A. Who received the most presents?
B. Who received the most gifts, Jessica or Steven,?
C. What was the total number of gifts Gloria and Jessica received?
D. Who was the lucky recipient of six gifts?
E. How many gifts did Steven receive in comparison to Andrew?
Solution: A. Gloria got the most number of gifts.
B. Jessica got more gifts than Steven.
C. Gloria and Jessica got 10 gifts altogether.
D. Steven got three gifts.
E. Steven got 1 gift more than Andrew.
2) Elmer, Kathy, Javier, and Julie live next door to each other. The pictograph below depicts the number of fish in each of their fish tanks.
Note that each picture of a fish represents 4 fishes.
a. Who has the greatest number of fishes?
b. Who has a total of 16 fish?
c. Javier had how many fewer fish than Kathy?
d. Elmer and Julie had a total of how many fish?
Solution: A. Julie has the most fish.
B. Elmer has 16 fish.
Each image of a fish represents 4 fishes. We’ve to multiply one image with 4 fishes.
So, 
C. Javier has 8 fewer fish than Kathy.
Javier has 2 sets of four fish, fewer fish than Kathy.
Each 
represents 4 fishes. We’ve to multiply one set of fishes with 2 sets of fishes.
So, 
D. Elmer and Julie have 40 fish altogether.
Each represents 4 fishes. We’ve to multiply one set of fishes with 10 sets of fishes.
So,
Elmer and Julie have 40 fishes altogether.
3) For a month, four girl scouts sold cookies in their locality. The diagram below depicts the number of boxes each girl scout sold.
Note that each picture of a 
represents 5 boxes.
a. In total, how many boxes of cookies did the girls sell?
b. How many boxes did Isabella sell more than Emma?
c. Which of the two girls sold a total of 75 cookie boxes?
d. Grace sold half of her cookies as Thin Mints. How many boxes of Thin Mints did Grace sell ?
Solution: A. All the girls sold 140 boxes of cookies.
Each represents 5 cookies. We’ve to multiply one set of cookies with 28 sets of cookies.
So, 5 \(\times\) 28 = 140 cookies.
B. Isabella sold 25 boxes of cookies, more than Emma.
Each represents 5 cookies. We’ve to multiply one set of cookies with 5 sets of cookies.
So, 5 \(\times\) 5 = 25 cookies.
C.
Each represents 5 cookies. We’ve to multiply one set of cookies with 15 sets of cookies.
So, 5 \(\times\) 15 = 75 cookies.
D. Grace sold 25 boxes of thin mint cookies.
Each represents 5 cookies. We’ve to multiply one set of cookies with 5 sets of cookies.
So, 5 \(\times\) 5 = 25 cookies.
4) This is a graph of the pets that belong to Miss Smith’s students. Answer the questions using the data from the graph.
a. What is the total number of dogs owned by the students?
b. What number of birds do they have?
c. Do they have a lot of cats?
d. Do they have a lot of fish?
e. Is there a larger number of fish or cats?
Solution: A. Students have 6 dogs.
B. Students have 2 birds.
C. Students have 4 cats.
D. Students have 7 fish.
E. Students have more fish than cats.
5) The baseball team at the school keeps track of the number of home runs each player scored in a season.
Answer the questions using the graph below.
a. How many home runs did Sarah have in total?
b. What was the total number of home runs scored by the player with the most home runs?
c. How many home runs did Doug have compared to Sarah?
d. How many home runs did Mark have compared to Tracy?
e. What was the total number of home runs did Mark and Patty have?
f. Mark and Doug, or Tracy and Patty, who have more home runs?
g. Which two players have a total of home runs that are less than Tracy’s?
h. Jose has an advantage of five home runs over Tracy. How many home runs did he get on the board?
i. From the player with the fewest home runs to the player with the most home runs, list them in ascending order.
Solution:
A. Sarah has 7 home runs.
B. 12 are the highest home runs.
C. Doug has 4 home runs higher than Sarah.
D. Mark has 4 home runs fewer than Tracy.
E. Mark and Patty have 12 home runs.
F. Mark and Patty have more home runs.
G. The added home runs of Patty and Sarah are less than Tracy’s.
H. Jose scored 17 home runs.
I. Patty, Sarah, Mark, Doug, and Tracy.
Bar graphs are used to compare two groups of data or to track changes over time. When attempting to measure change over time, however, bar graphs work best when the changes are significant.
The different types of graphs used to interpret data other than bar graphs and picture graphs are line graphs, pie charts, area graphs, and an X- Y plot graph.