A bar graph is a bar chart that utilises rectangular bars, portraying different values. It helps to show comparisons in various categories. It includes the average salary in different states or the amount of rainfall that arrives at different months of the year. The bar chart is drawn vertically. However, one can also depict them vertically. The Bar graphs are either used to track changes over time or show a comparison between two groups. Although, when the changes are larger, one should measure them using the bar graphs. To learn the steps to construct a bar graph, read the full description and get started.
Types of Bar Graph
There are two types of bar graphs, i.e., stacked bar graphs and grouped bar graphs.
- Stacked Bar Graph: Stack bar graphs divide an aggregate total into various parts. These are recognized using multiple colours for every part. These bar graphs or bar charts require specific labelling to determine what the other parts of the graphs show.
- Grouped Bar Graph: The Grouped bar graphs represent discrete values for multiple items sharing the same category. The bar graph could represent the number of data with certain traits. The aggregate number of the examples could combine in one bar for each given data.
Importance of Bar Graph
A bar graph is a graph that plots the data using columns to represent the amount of observation of data for any particular category. These carry multiple types of information, displayed with horizontal bars, stacked bars, vertical columns, or comparative bars. It is of great importance for displaying data in financial analysis.
The longer the value, the greater the value of the bar. A stock volume bar is a vertical bar graph commonly used to display the data. Meanwhile, the histogram type of bar graph is important for statistical analysis of data, showing the probability distribution in some samples.
The Bar chart consists of two axes. The horizontal axis of the vertical graph helps show data categories. Meanwhile, the graph’s vertical axis is used to colour bars in the data series.
These bar graphs make it easy to show a comparison between sets of data at a glance. The graph aims to depict the relationship between both axes. Although, these show huge changes in the available data with time.
Properties of a Bar Graph
Following are the properties of the bar graph that make it different and unique from other bar graphs. You can learn these before starting with the steps to construct a bar graph.
- The height of the rectangular bar is equal to the data represented in it. ‘
- The rectangular bars have to be on a common base.
- One can draw the rectangular bar vertically or horizontally.
- All rectangular bars must consist of equal space and width between them.
Steps to construct a bar graph
Now that you have understood the importance and properties of a bar graph. Let’s get started with the steps to construct a bar graph mentioned below.
Step1: Collect the data
Collecting the data is the first step to construct a bar graph. Always remember that the bar graph should compare the data among categories. For instance, if you draw a graph on rainfall, you will have to determine how much rain fell every month. You can begin to draw the graph once you save the data.
Step 2: Draw an X and y-axis
The bar graph looks like an “L” shape. Generally, the bar graphs are drawn when a set of data is expressed in categories set, in which the set will be the base. The other data axis will be the values for the periods, groups, and base categories.
Step 3: Label the x-axis and y-axis
Divide the number of squares by the number of bars to find the width of each par across the page. If the page bars do not touch, select a space and leave the blank between the pairs from the starting point. After that, you should label the x-axis with the name of the months.
For the y-axis, divide the highest value of the bars with the square numbers to determine what each square represents.
Step 4: Increase the base you have a market to the horizontal line on the bottom axis labelled with the bar’s value. Check that if the bar’s value falls between two lines, the correct value of the bar will lie. Please observe that the bars across the page are separated normally, as they show the comparison values between similar events.
Step 5: Interpret the data
Now that you have drawn the bar graph, you can check the data to visualise it properly. Now you can take a look at the essential aspects of the data and take a step back precisely.
Hence, these are the steps to construct a bar graph. Follow them and draw the chart to represent the data accordingly.
Conclusion
As the Bar graph represents data for particular categories. It helps portray different values and shows the comparisons accordingly. It uses the columns carrying multiple types of information, either vertically or horizontally. While beginning with the steps to construct a bar graph, you must draw the chart keeping all of its properties in mind.