Use Sophia to knock out your gen-ed requirements quickly and affordably. Learn more
×

Types of Graphs

Author: Nathan Lampson

Pie Chart

 

Pie charts are used to show parts of a whole.  This pie chart shows what kind of lunch all of the students in the school requested.  There are 195 students in the 11th grade.  Out of the 195 students, 91 want pizza, 76 want a hot dog, and 28 would like pasta.

Bar Graph

 

Bar graphs work well to compare groups of data.  When there are many groups of data that are very different, a bar graph is a great way to show results.  This bar graph shows the favorite animals for a class of 26 students.  In the classroom, 10 students' favorite animal is the whale, 7 students like turtles, 4 students prefer dogs, 3 students enjoy tigers, and 2 students are into snakes.

Line Graph

 

Line graphs show changes over time.  In this line graph, the outdoor temperature in °F from 10AM to 5PM is shown.