Page 115 - Ganit Kaushal
P. 115
on the vertical line, they grow horizontally rightward, and the lengths of the bars are along the horizontal line.
Based on this, generally, we have two types of bar graphs:
(a) Vertical Bar Graph (or Column Graph): Bars are drawn upwards.
(b) Horizontal Bar Graph: Bars are drawn sideways.
Step 2: Choose a Scale
Just like we did for pictographs, decide the key or scale of your graph. The scale is the number represented by
a single unit of length on the graph. For instance, if your data ranges from 0 to 50, you might choose a scale
where each unit represents 10.
Step 3: Label the Axes
Label the horizontal axis with the categories and the vertical axis with numbers or vice versa, according to the
data and the scale you chose.
Step 4: Draw the Bars
Draw a bar for each category based on the data collected. Bars of uniform width can be drawn horizontally
or vertically with equal spacing between them. The height (or length) of the bar should match the value it
represents. The width of the bars does not matter, it should be chosen so that they look attractive.
Step 5: Add a Title
If possible, give your graph a title that explains what the data is all about (e.g., “Favourite Sports of Class 6
Students”).
® The aesthetic and artistic aspect must be taken care
of while preparing a bar graph. For example, if we
are preparing a bar graph to represent the height of
mountains, then instead of making a horizontally Remember
growing bar graph, it is better and more visually Tips for Drawing a Bar Graph
appealing to make a bar graph with bars growing 1. Use equal spacing between the bars.
vertically upwards, just like mountains. Also, utmost 2. Keep the bars the same width.
3. Label the axes clearly and add a title.
care should be taken for its visual presentation. That 4. Choose a suitable scale that fits the
is, it should perfectly fit in the intended place. It data well.
means that it should neither be too small nor too big.
This can be controlled by wisely choosing an
appropriate scale.
Example: Recall that in the previous example-1 of section
4.3, Nilesh prepared a frequency table representing the sweet Sweets No. of Friends
preferences of his friends to celebrate the new year. Let us
try to prepare a bar graph to represent his data. The data Jalebi 6
prepared by Nilesh is given in the table. (NCERT) Gulab Jamun 9
Step 1: First, we draw a horizontal line and a vertical line. Gujiya 13
We will write the names of the sweets along the horizontal Barfi 3
line, spaced equally, from which the bars will rise according
to their frequencies. Along the vertical line, we will write the Rasgulla 7
frequencies representing the number of friends.
Data Handling and Presentation 113

