4.5.2 Bar chart

A bar chart, also known as a bar graph, is a graphical representation of data in which rectangular bars of equal width are used to represent different categories or values.

• In a bar chart, the length or height of each bar represents the quantity, frequency, or percentage of data in each category.

• The bars can be arranged vertically or horizontally, and the categories are usually shown on the \( x \)-axis (horizontal axis), while the values or frequencies are shown on the \( y \)-axis (vertical axis).

• Bar charts are often used to compare the relative sizes or frequencies of different categories or values.

• They are particularly useful for showing categorical data, such as the number of students in different grade levels or the frequency of different types of fruits in a grocery store.

Worked example:

Suppose a survey was conducted to determine people’s favorite colors,and the results were as follows:

• Red: \( 35 \)%

• Blue: \( 25 \)%

• Green: \( 20 \)%

• Yellow: \( 10 \)%

• Other: \( 10 \)%

To represent this data in a bar chart, we could create a Vertical bar chart as follows