7. Visualizing Trends and Patterns Free Online FlashCards

What is the purpose of data visualization?

A data visualization uses visual forms to help people identify patterns, trends, comparisons, relationships, and unusual values.

What is a table especially useful for?

A table arranges data in rows and columns, making exact values, detailed comparisons, and individual records easy to find.

Which chart types compare distinct categories?

Bar and column charts compare distinct categories by representing each value with a horizontal or vertical bar.

What does a line chart reveal?

A line chart connects values across an ordered variable, usually time, to reveal direction, cycles, sudden changes, or stability.

What does a scatter plot display?

A scatter plot displays paired values for two numerical variables and can reveal associations, clusters, and outliers.

How does a histogram show distribution?

A histogram groups numerical values into intervals called bins to show concentration, skew, gaps, or multiple clusters.

What does a box plot summarize?

A box plot summarizes a distribution using the median, quartiles, and possible outliers, making it useful for comparing spread between groups.

What do stacked bars show?

Stacked bars show how categories contribute to a total, making them useful for displaying composition or part-to-whole relationships.

What is a dashboard?

A dashboard combines charts, key figures, filters, and tables to monitor a focused set of important indicators, often with regularly updated data.

Why can a truncated bar-chart axis mislead?

A truncated y-axis on a bar chart can exaggerate small differences because the bars no longer begin at a common zero baseline.

When are rates better than raw counts?

Rates or percentages can provide a fairer comparison than raw counts when groups have different population sizes or exposures.

How can a visualization remain accessible?

Essential information should also be available as text or a table so people using screen readers, small screens, or other access technologies can use it.