A bar graph is a graph with rectangular bars that are proportional to the values they indicate, and the heights of the bars are proportional to the values they represent. The bars of the graphs can easily be shown either vertically or horizontally.
Bar graphs, often known as bar charts, represent data that has been categorised. It’s one of the methods for dealing with data. A bar graph is a useful tool for representing data that is unrelated to each other and does not need to be displayed in any particular sequence. The bars provide a visual representation of the amounts in several categories. The horizontal and vertical axes, commonly known as the x and y-axis, as well as the title, labels, and scale range, are all included in bar graphs.
Properties of Bar Graphs
- The following are some of the characteristics that distinguish a bar graph from other forms of graphs:
- Each rectangular bar should be the same width and have the same amount of space between them.
- You can draw the rectangular bars horizontally or vertically.
- The rectangular bar’s height corresponds to the data it represents.
- The rectangular bars must all be on the same level.
Types of Bar Graphs
1. Vertical Bar Graphs
Vertical bar graphs are graphs or charts in which the given data is shown vertically in a graph or chart with the help of rectangular bars that show the data measure. The Y-axis indicates the vertically drawn rectangular bars, and the X-axis shows the value of the height of the rectangular bars, which reflects the quantity of the variables printed on the X-axis.
2. Horizontal Bar Graphs
Horizontal bar graphs are graphs in which the given data is displayed horizontally by rectangular bars that show the data measure. The variables or categories of the data must be written, and then rectangular bars must be drawn horizontally on the Y-axis with the length of the bars equal to the values of the various variables present in the data on the X-axis.
3. Stacked Bar Graphs
The composite bar graph is another name for the stacked bar graph. It separates the entire bar into sections. Each segment of a bar is represented by a different colour to make it easier to distinguish between the many categories. It necessitates appropriate labelling to distinguish the various portions of the bar.
4. Grouped Bar Graphs
The grouped bar graph is another name for the clustered bar graph. It is used to represent the discrete value of two or more categorical data sets. For levels of one categorical variable, rectangular bars are grouped by position, with the second category level within each group shown in the same colour. It can be displayed in both vertical and horizontal orientations.
Know the Difference Between Bar Graph and Histogram
The primary distinction between histograms and bar graphs is that the lines in a bar graph are not close to each other, but the bars in histograms are. A bar graph is a graphical representation of exact data made up of rectangular bars with equal gaps between them. A histogram is a graphical representation of data made up of rectangular bars with no gaps.
Bar graphs are used to compare various variables and are used to plot categorical data such as data of types of animals, types of colours, types of movies, and so on. Histograms are used to represent distributions of variables and plot quantitative data such as data of population changes every year, marks obtained, and monthly salary. Bar graphs are used to compare various variables and are used to plot categorical data such as data of types of animals, types of colours, types of movies, and so on.
Uses of Bar Graph
A bar graph’s most prevalent applications are in mathematics and statistics. Some examples of bar graph applications are as follows:
- Comparing and contrasting different variables becomes simple.
- It is the simplest diagram to make and does not require a lot of time and effort.
- It is the most widely utilised method of data representation. As a result, it is used in a wide range of industries.
- It’s used to make a comparison between two sets of data. The data sets aren’t connected in any way.
- It helps with trend analysis over long periods.
Conclusion
A bar graph is a useful tool for representing data that is unrelated to one another and does not need to be displayed in any particular sequence. The bars provide a visual representation of amounts in several categories. The horizontal and vertical axes, commonly known as the x and y-axis, as well as the title, labels, and scale range, are all included in bar graphs.