EM-1278
Misleading diagrams
E Math · Secondary 3 · Hard · Misleading diagrams
A survey of students’ favourite sports is shown in a bar graph. The vertical axis starts at 20 instead of 0, so the bars for Football (40 students) and Basketball (30 students) look very different in height.
Which statement best explains why this graph may be misleading?
Which statement best explains why this graph may be misleading?
- The graph uses bars instead of a line, which always misleads readers.
- The bars are not drawn with equal width, so some categories look more important.
- The vertical axis does not start from 0, so the difference in bar heights is exaggerated.
- The categories on the horizontal axis are in alphabetical order, which hides the trend.
Sign in to check your answer and see the hint and the worked explanation. Free on PrepLab High.