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Presenting data: bar graphs and pie charts sheet
10-mark answer frame

Explain the presentation of data by bar graphs and pie charts with suitable examples.

How to lay out the answer. Follow the frame, then write it in your own words.

  1. 1 · Open in two lines. Diagrams present data visually so that comparisons are seen at a glance. Bar graphs and pie charts are the most common.
  2. 2 · Bar graph and its rules.
    • Bars of equal width and gap.
    • Axis starts at zero.
    • Suitable scale.
    • Title, labels and key.
  3. 3 · Types of bar graph with sketches.
    • Simple.
    • Multiple.
    • Sub-divided.
    • Percentage.
    • Deviation.
    • Broken.
  4. 4 · Pie chart and its formula. A circle divided into sectors; angle = value ÷ total × 360°; start at 12 o'clock and go clockwise.
  5. 5 · Work an example. Anaemia grades of 120 girls: 135°, 117°, 99°, 9° (total 360°). Draw and label the pie.
  6. 6 · Compare the two. Bar graph for comparing sizes and many categories; pie chart for parts of one whole with few parts.
  7. 7 · Nutrition example. Pie chart for the share of energy from food groups; multiple bars for anaemia before and after a mid-day meal programme.
  8. 8 · Close in one line. Choose the diagram that makes the main message of the data easiest to see.

Scoring tip: Show the pie-chart working line by line and check that the angles add up to 360°. Neat sketches beat long text.