UNIT - 1

BAR GRAPHS
Bar graphs are the pictorial representation of data (generally grouped), in the form of
vertical or horizontal rectangular bars, where the length of bars are proportional to the
measure of data. They are also known as bar charts. Bar graphs are one of the means of data
handling in statistics.

The collection, presentation, analysis, organization, and interpretation of observations

of data are known as statistics. The statistical data can be represented by various methods
such as tables, bar graphs, pie charts, histograms, frequency polygons, etc. 

Bar Graph:
The pictorial representation of grouped data, in the form of vertical or horizontal
rectangular bars, where the lengths of the bars are equivalent to the measure of data, are
known as bar graphs or bar charts.

The bars drawn are of uniform width, and the variable quantity is represented on one
of the axes. Also, the measure of the variable is depicted on the other axes. The heights or the
lengths of the bars denote the value of the variable, and these graphs are also used to compare
certain quantities. The frequency distribution tables can be easily represented using bar charts
which simplify the calculations and understanding of data.

The three major attributes of bar graphs are:

● The bar graph helps to compare the different sets of data among different groups
easily.

● It shows the relationship using two axes, in which the categories are on one axis
and the discrete values are on the other axis.

● The graph shows the major changes in data over time.

Parts of a Bar Graph:

Following are the many parts of a bar graph:

● Vertical axis

● Horizontal axis

● The bar graph’s title informs the reader of its purpose.

● The title of the horizontal axis indicates the information that is shown there.

● The title of the vertical axis indicates the data it is used to display.
 ● The categories on the particular axis indicate what each bar represents.

● The bar graph’s scale demonstrates how numbers are used in the data. It is a
system of markings spaced at specific intervals that aid in object measurement.
For instance, the scale of a graph may be stated as 1 unit = 10 fruits

Types of Bar Graphs:

The bar graphs can be vertical or horizontal. The primary feature of any bar graph is
its length or height. If the length of the bar graph is more, then the values are greater than any
given data.

Bar graphs normally show categorical and numeric variables arranged in class
intervals. They consist of an axis and a series of labelled horizontal or vertical bars. The bars
represent frequencies of distinctive values of a variable or commonly the distinct values
themselves. The number of values on the x-axis of a bar graph or the y-axis of a column
graph is called the scale.

The types of bar charts are as follows:

1. Vertical bar chart

2. Horizontal bar chart

Even though the graph can be plotted using horizontally or vertically, the most usual
type of bar graph used is the vertical bar graph. The orientation of the x-axis and y-axis are
changed depending on the type of vertical and horizontal bar chart. Apart from the vertical
and horizontal bar graph, the two different types of bar charts are:

● Grouped Bar Graph

● Stacked Bar Graph

Vertical Bar Graphs:

When the grouped data are represented vertically in a graph or chart with the help of bars,
where the bars denote the measure of data, such graphs are called vertical bar graphs. The
data is represented along the y-axis of the graph, and the height of the bars shows the values.
Horizontal Bar Graphs:
When the grouped data are represented horizontally in a chart with the help of bars, then such
graphs are called horizontal bar graphs, where the bars show the measure of data. The data is
depicted here along the x-axis of the graph, and the length of the bars denote the values.

Grouped Bar Graph:

The grouped bar graph is also called the clustered bar graph, which is used to
represent the discrete value for more than one object that shares the same category. In this
type of bar chart, the total number of instances are combined into a single bar. In other words,
a grouped bar graph is a type of bar graph in which different sets of data items are compared.
Here, a single colour is used to represent the specific series across the set. The grouped bar
graph can be represented using both vertical and horizontal bar charts.

Stacked Bar Graph:

The stacked bar graph is also called the composite bar chart, which divides the
aggregate into different parts. In this type of bar graph, each part can be represented using
different colours, which helps to easily identify the different categories. The stacked bar chart
requires specific labelling to show the different parts of the bar.
In a stacked bar graph, each bar represents the whole and each segment represents the
different parts of the whole.

Properties of Bar Graph:

Some of the important properties of a bar graph are as follows:

▪ All the bars should have a common base.

▪ Each column in the bar graph should have equal width.
▪ The height of the bar should correspond to the data value.
▪ The distance between each bar should be the same.

Applications of Bar Graphs:

Bar graphs are used to match things between different groups or to trace changes over
time. Yet, when trying to estimate change over time, bar graphs are most suitable when the
changes are bigger.

Bar charts possess a discrete domain of divisions and are normally scaled so that all
the data can fit on the graph. When there is no regular order of the divisions being matched,
bars on the chart may be organized in any order. Bar charts organized from the highest to the
lowest number are called Pareto charts.

Real-Life Applications of Bar Graph:

Bar graphs are a visual representation of data. They are used to show the relationship
between two or more sets of data. They are mostly used in business and finance, but they can
also be found in other contexts. Bar graphs are used in many real-life situations. For example,
a bar graph can be used to show the distribution of different types of food in a restaurant. The
height of each rectangle would represent how many orders were placed for that type of food. 

Bar graphs are also often used to represent the data grouped into categories, such as
how many people have voted for each candidate in an election or how much money was spent
by each department.
 The bars on this type of graph represent the number or percentage of people or
money spent and are usually stacked on top of one another so that they can be easily
compared to one another.

Advantages of Bar Chart:

● Bar graph summarises the large set of data in simple visual form.

● It displays each category of data in the frequency distribution.

● It clarifies the trend of data better than the table.

● It helps in estimating the key values at a glance.

● Sometimes, the bar graph fails to reveal the patterns, cause, effects, etc.

● It can be easily manipulated to yield fake information.

Important Notes:
Some of the important notes related to the bar graph are as follows:

a. In the bar graph, there should be an equal spacing between the bars.
b. It is advisable to use the bar graph if the frequency of the data is very
large.
c. Understand the data that should be presented on the x-axis and y-axis
and the relation between the two.

How to Draw a Bar Graph?

Let us consider an example, we have four different types of pets, such as cat, dog,
rabbit, and hamster and the corresponding numbers are 22, 39, 5 and 9 respectively.

In order to visually represent the data using the bar graph, we need to follow the steps
given below.

Step 1: First, decide the title of the bar graph.

Step 2: Draw the horizontal axis and vertical axis. (For example, Types of Pets)

Step 3: Now, label the horizontal axis.

Step 4: Write the names on the horizontal axis, such as Cat, Dog, Rabbit, Hamster.

Step 5: Now, label the vertical axis. (For example, Number of Pets)

Step 6: Finalise the scale range for the given data.

Step 7: Finally, draw the bar graph that should represent each category of the pet
with their respective numbers.
Bar Graph Solved Examples:
To understand the above types of bar graphs, consider the following examples:

Example 1:
In a firm of 400 employees, the percentage of monthly salary saved by each employee
is given in the following table. Represent it through a bar graph.

Savings (in percentage) Number of Employees(Frequency)

20 105

30 199

40 29

50 73

Total 400

Solution:

The given data can be represented as

This can also be represented using a horizontal bar graph as follows:

Example 2:
A cosmetic company manufactures 4 different shades of lipstick. The sale for 6
months is shown in the table. Represent it using bar charts.

Month Sales (in units)

Shade 1 Shade 2 Shade 3 Shade 4

January 4500 1600 4400 3245

February 2870 5645 5675 6754

March 3985 8900 9768 7786

April 6855 8976 9008 8965

May 3200 5678 5643 7865

June 3456 4555 2233 6547

Solution:

The graph given below depicts the following data

Example 3:
The variation of temperature in a region during a year is given as follows. Depict it
through the graph (bar).

Month Temperature

January -6°C

February -3.5°C

March -2.7°C

April 4°C

May 6°C

June 12°C
 July 15°C

August 8°C

September 7.9°C

October 6.4°C

November 3.1°C

December -2.5°C

Solution:

As the temperature in the given table has negative values, it is more convenient to
represent such data through a horizontal bar graph.

Example- 4

The bar graph given below shows the sales of books (in thousand numbers) from six
branches of a publishing company during two consecutive years 2000 and 2001.
 Sales of Books (in thousand numbers) from Six Branches - B1, B2, B3, B4, B5 and
B6 of a publishing Company in 2000 and 2001.

a.What is the ratio of the total sales of branch B2 for both years to the total sales of
branch B4 for both years?
i. 2:3
ii. 3:5
iii. 4:5
iv. 7:9

Solution:
(75+65) 140 7
. Required ratio  = (85+95)
= 180
= 9

b.Total sales of branch B6 for both the years is what percent of the total sales of
branches B3 for both the years?
i. 68.54%
ii. 71.11%
iii. 73.17%
iv. 75.55%
Solution:
(70 + 80)
Required percentage = [ (95 + 110)
𝑥 100 ]%

150
= ⎡ 205 𝑥 100 ⎤ %
⎣ ⎦
= 73.17%.
 c.What percent of the average sales of branches B1, B2 and B3 in 2001 is the
average sales of branches B1, B3 and B6 in 2000?

i. 75%
ii. 77.5%
iii. 82.5%
iv. 87.5%

Solution:

Average sales (in thousand number) of branches B1, B3 and B6 in 2000

1 245
= 3
𝑥 (80 + 95 + 70 ) = 3

Average sales (in thousand number) of branches B1, B2 and B3 in 2001

1 280
= 3
𝑥 ( 105 + 65 + 110 ) = 3

245

Required Percentage =[ 3
280 𝑥 100 ] %
3

245
= ⎡ 𝑥 100 ⎤ % = 87. 5 %
⎣ 280 ⎦

Example - 5
The bar graph below depicts the number of students in various classes at a school.
Answer the below questions using the bar graph provided.
(i) The total number of students in each class.
(ii) The overall number of students from grades 6 to 8.
(iii) The overall number of students from grades 1 to 8.
(iv) The number of students in a class on average.
Solution:
(i)
In Class 1, there are 100 students.
In Class 2, there are 90 students.
In Class 3, there are 100 students.
In Class 4, there are 80 students.
In Class 5, there are 120 students.
In Class 6, there are 90 students.
In Class 7, there are 70 students.
In Class 8, there are 50 students.
(ii) The overall number of students from grades 6 to 8:
= Students in class 6 + Students in class 7 + Students in class 8
= 90 + 70 + 50
= 210
The total number of students from class 6 to class 8 = 210
(iii) The overall number of students from class 1 to 8
= 100 + 90+ 100+ 80 + 120 +90 + 70 + 50
= 700 students
(iv) The number of students in a class on average
= Total number of students / Number of classes
= 700/8
= 87.5
 Exercise Problems
1. In one week, the number of absentees in Class X was reported. Make a bar graph with this
information.

Days Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Number of Absentees 80 110 135 160 150 70

(a) On which days were the most and least students absent?
(b) On Tuesday and Friday, how many students were absent?

2. DIRECTIONS:

Refer to the following graph of sales and profit figures of ABC Ltd and answer the
questions that follow.

1. Return on sales (Profit/sales) was highest in which year?

a) 1995
b) 1996
c) 1997
d) 1998

2. How many times return on sales (profit/sales) exceeded 15 % ?

a) .Once
b) .Twice
c) .Thrice
d) .Never
3. Refer to the following bar graph of monthly cumulative sales over the last three years of
star budget.

1) If the sales of three consecutive years are steadily increasing or steadily

decreasing, then it is called a steady trend. The only months in which
increasing steady trend is observed are

A) March & June

B) .Jan & June
C) April & March
D) Feb & May

2) In 2000, the ratio of actual to budget was highest in the month of

A) Jan
B) Feb
C) Mar
D) Apr

3) Total approximate growth in sales in year 1999, over the previous year was

A) . 20%
B) 25%
C) -15%
D) . -18%

4) The annual budget for 2000 was achieved during

A) May
B) June
C) July
D) August
 5) Predictor is the ratio of sales during Jan-Mar quarter to annual sales
(budgeted for current year & actual for previous years). The predictor was
highest in

A) 1998
B) 1999
C) 2000
D) Can't say

4. Refer to the following graph related to the percentage of persons over 25 years of
age and with more than 4 years college education living in country X.

1) What percentage of persons 25 and over completed 4 years of college or more

in 1970?
A. 7%
B. 10%
C. 11%
D. 12.5%
2) What was the average percentage increase per year from 1970 to 1980?
A. 0.5%
B. 5%
C. 0.7%
D. 2%
3) In 1987, a typical state had 125,000 persons 25 and over with 4 years of
college or more. What population of the state was 25 and over?
A. 375,000
B. 475,000
 C. 625,000
D. 525,000
4) What was the percent increase in the percentage of persons 25 and over
completing 4 years of college or more between 1960 and 1989?
A. 100%
B. 150%
C. 200%
D. 300%
5) If some other country had three times as many people of 25 and over in 1989
as country X with the same number of persons completing 4 years of college
or more, what percentage of that country’s people of 25 and over would
complete college?
A. 7%
B. 5%
C. 9%
D. Can't say