Department of Statistics, University of Dhaka

Course #: Stat H-101 (Introduction to Statistics)

Chapter 02: Graphical Representation

Print Date: 02.02.2022

Graphical representation is one of the important ways of presenting statistical data in

the form of geometrical figures like points, lines, bars, rectangles, circles etc. It is
sometimes called pictorial presentation as we present information by pictures.

The importance of graphical presentation (diagrams and graphs):

1. Diagrams and graphs can present the data into simple and intelligible form.
2. Diagrams are generally more attractive and impressive than the numerical figures.
3. Diagrams help in deriving the required information in less time and without any
mental strain.
4. The graphs and diagrams facilitate comparison of two or more set of data at a time
.

Some commonly used graphs and diagrams are discussed below:

1. Bar diagram: (a) Simple bar diagram (b) Component bar diagram
(c) Percentage bar diagram (d) Multiple bar diagram

(a) Simple bar diagram:

Simple bar diagram is a diagram for only one variable. It is the most simple and
frequently used for the comparative study of two or more values of a single variable.
It consists of a set of equidistant rectangles of equal width. The heights (or lengths )
of the rectangles are represented by the given values of the variable. The number of
rectangles is equal to the number of values of the single variable.
Figure 2.1:Vertical bar diagram for health centre visit data

Ddata
80

60

40

20

0
Frequently Occasionally Rarely Never

Bar diagram is one dimentional because only the length or height of the bars matters but not the width of the bars.
(b) Component bar diagram:
Component bar diagram is a diagram for two or more components of a total. A
component bar diagram is drawn when we have to make the comparative study of
different components with one another and to see the relation between the
components with their totals. Component bar diagram is also known as sub-divided
bar diagram or sometimes called stacked bar diagram.

In sub-divided bar diagrams, we have a set of rectangles which is drawn with lengths
proportional to the totals. Then divide the rectangles into various segments, each
segment representing a given component of the total. Different shades or colors can
be made to distinguish the various components.

Figure 2.3: Component bar diagram for data in Example 2.6

Male Female
35
30
Population in 000

25
20
15
10
5
0
Chittagong Dhaka
Region

(c) Percentage bar diagram:

A sub-divided bar diagram presented in a percentage basis is known as percentage
percentage bar diagram. it is used for comparing the relative changes in the data.
In percentage bar diagram, each total is considered as 100 and express the value of
each component as the percentage of the total.

(d) Multiple bar diagram:

d) It is also a one-dimensional bar diagram. When two or more variables are to be
compared at the same time, we draw multiple bar diagram. In a multiple bar
diagram two or more sets of inter-related data are represented. In a multiple bar
diagram, a set of adjacent bars are drawn. The procedure for drawing multiple bar
diagram is same as that of a simple bar diagram. In order to differentiate bars,
different colors or shades are used.

Figure 2.4: Multiple bar diagram for data in Table 2. 14

No education
60 Primary
Secondary
50

40

30

20

10
2. Circular diagram/Pie- diagram (Pie-chart):
Circular diagram is a diagram in the form of a circle whose area represents the
total value of the variable. The circular diagram dividing into different sectors by
radial lines such that the area of each sector representing the component value of
total. Pie-diagram is used to show the relation between the components with one
another and also to the total. Pie-diagram is a two dimensional diagram. It is also
known as Pie-chart or angular diagram.

Total value of a variable is equated to 3600 . Then find the angles corresponding to
the component values of the total.
Figure 2.5: Simple pie diagram displaying the data in Table 2.15
Never Frequently
4.0% 32.7%

Rarely
16.0%

Occasionally
47.3%

3. Histogram:
Presentation of frequency distribution in the graphical form is known as
Histogram. It consists of a set of adjacent vertical rectangles on x-axis with bases
equal to the width of the corresponding class-intervals and heights proportional to
the corresponding frequency of each class so that the area of the rectangle is
proportional to the frequency of the corresponding class.
Figure 2.8: Histogram with equal class intervals for data in Table 2.16

30

25

20

15

10

0
4.5 9.5 14.5 19.5 24.5 29.5
Class boundaries

*Histogram for unequal class intervals: Y-axis contains frequency density.

frequency density= frequency/class width.
4. Frequency polygon :
Frequency polygon is another method of graphical representation of frequency
distribution. The frequency polygon is obtained by plotting the points with values
of the variable as the x-coordinate and the corresponding frequencies as the y-
coordinate and joining these points by straight lines.

First find the middle points of every class-interval. Consider the middle points as
x-co-ordinates and then points are plotted as in discrete frequency distribution .

5. Frequency curve:
A smooth free hand curve drown through the vertices of a frequency polygon is
known as the frequency curve. Frequency curve is a limiting form of frequency
polygon when the number of observations become very large and class-intervals
are made smaller and smaller.

6. Cumulative frequency curve or Ogive:

Cumulative frequency curve which is also known as Ogive is graphical
representation of cumulative frequency distribution of continuous variable. In
drawing Ogive, points are plotted with cumulative frequency (c.f.) along the y-axis
and the corresponding upper class boundaries along the x-axis and joining them
freely.

Figure 2.11: Less than type ogive for wage data in

Table 2.20

50

40

30
c.f

20

10

0
<1.45 <1.95 <2.45 <2.95 <3.45 <3.95 <4.45 <4.95
Age

* We can also construct more than type Cumulative frequency polygon.

7. Stem and Leaf Diagram: Stem and leaf diagram is a graphical technique of
representing quantitative data that can be used to examine the shape of a frequency
distribution, the range of the values and point of concentration of the values. This
type of data display technique if often called exploratory data analysis (EDA).
Compared to other graphical techniques presented thus far, stem and leaf plot is an
easy and quick way of displaying data. The technique was first proposed by Tukey
(1977) as an aid to understanding and exploring data through statistical analysis.

Example: The following data represent the marks obtained by 20 students in a

statistics test.

84 17 38 45 47 53 76 54 75 22
66 65 55 54 51 33 39 19 54 72

Use a stem and leaf plot to display the data.

Solution: We note that the lowest score is 17 and the highest score is 84. For stem
and leaf plots, classes must be of equal lengths. We will use the first or leading digit
(tens) of score as the stem and the trailing (units) digits as the leaf. For example, for
the score 84, the leading digit is 8, and the trailing digit is 4.

The complete diagram is

Stem Leaf
1 7 9
2 2
3 8 3 9
4 5 7
5 3 4 5 4 1 4
6 6 5
7 6 5 2
8 4

This is an unordered stem and leaf diagram. We can make it ordered by arranging the
leaves in ascending order.

* Back-to-Back stem and leaf diagram:

8. Line Diagram:
A line diagram is particularly useful for presenting time series data. Example: To
display production of Jute for a period of 20 years, export of raw material from
Bangladesh for last 10 years we generally use line diagram. In line diagram we
plot frequencies (values) against time.

7. Scatter Diagram:
Scatter diagram is very useful for displaying information on two quantitative
variables, which are believed to be inter-related. Height and weight, age and
height, income and expenditure are the examples of some of data sets that are
assumed to be related to each other. Such data can be presented by scatter
diagram. In scatter diagram we plot one variable along X-axis and corresponding
other variable along Y-axis.