Chapter Summary

Chapter 3

 

A pie chart shows the differences in frequencies or percentages among categories of nominal or ordinal variable. The categories of the variable are segments of a circle whose pieces add up to 100% of the total frequencies.

A bar graph shows the differences in fre­quencies or percentages among categories of a nominal or an ordinal variable. The categories are displayed as rectangles of equal width with their height proportional to the frequency or percentage of the category.

Histograms display the differences in frequencies or percentages among categories of interval-ratio variables. The categories are displayed as contiguous bars with their width proportional to the width of the category and height proportional to the frequency or per­centage of that category.

A line graph shows the differences in frequencies or percentages among categories of an interval-ratio variable. Points represent­ing the frequencies of each category are placed above the midpoint of the category (interval). Adjacent points are then joined by a straight line.

A time-series chart displays changes in a variable at different points in time. It displays two variables: (1) time, which is labeled across the horizontal axis, and (2) another variable of interest whose values (e.g., frequencies, percentages, or rates) are labeled along the vertical axis.