Southern New Hampshire University
MAT-133: Intro to Statistical Analysis
Study Guide 1
Column and Bar Charts
A is a display of data, and a is a display of data. column chart vertical bar chart horizontal
Pareto Charts
A special type of column chart used in business is the A Pareto chart displays Pareto chart.
categorical data, with categories displayed in descending order of frequency, so that the most
common categories appear first. Typically, only a few categories account for the majority of
observations. This phenomenon is called the This rule holds true for many aspects of80/20 Rule.
business. Pareto charts are commonly used in quality management to display the frequency of
defects or errors of different types. The majority of quality problems can usually be traced to
only a few sources or causes.
Stacked Column Chart
In a , the bar height is the sum of several subtotals. Areas may be stacked column chart
compared by color to show patterns in the subgroups, as well as showing the total. Stacked
column charts can be effective for any number of groups but work best when you only have a
few. Use numerical labels if exact data values are of importance.
Tips for Effective Bar and Column Charts
1. The numerical variable of interest usually is shown with vertical bars on the -axis, whileY
the category labels go on the -axis. X
2. If the quantity displayed is a time series, the category labels (e.g., years) are displayed on
the horizontal -axis with time increasing from left to right.X
3. The height or length of each bar should be proportional to the quantity displayed. The
