

The histogram example below shows the distribution of test scores in a class. Each bar represents a continuous range of data or the number of frequencies for a specific data point. HistogramĪ histogram is similar in appearance to a bar chart, but instead of comparing categories or looking for trends over time, each bar represents how data is distributed in a single category. If you tried to stack 4 or 6 categories, your graph would be a lot of harder to understand because of all the visual noise. Clustered bar graphs are also useful when you have more than 3 subcategories that are part of a whole. When the bars you want to group are only loosely related, you will definitely want to use a clustered representation. Clustered Bar ChartĬlustered or grouped bar charts are similar to stacked bar graphs in that they let you show subcategories in addition to regular categories on your chart.

For example, let's say you wanted to compare student enrollment growth at a particular college in the last decade but wanted to distinguish between male and female students. Obviously stacking implies that the subcategories represent a part of the whole. A stacked bar will let you place one or more sub-categories inside a bar while still showing the total. Stacked Bar Chart or Relative Value ChartĪ stacked bar chart allows you represent more complex relationships between data sets. There are two more complex variations of the standard bar graph: a stacked bar chart and a clustered or grouped bar chart. A bar will represent each category and there's usually a space between each bar. One axis shows categories, while the other a range of values.Ĭategories are qualitative groups such types of companies, months of the year, products, and so forth. The may be shown using vertical or horizontal bars. Some of the most common types of data charts include: Bar GraphĪ bar chart (also known as a bar graph) shows the differences between categories or trends over time using the length or height of its bars. This allows the viewer to quickly grasp comparisons and trends more easily than looking at the raw data. A chart can convey what is usually a table with rows of numbers in a picture. A chart is a visual presentation of data.
