Unit 15 DATA

What is data?
Data is a collection of facts, such as numbers, words, measurements, observations
or just descriptions of things. Qualitative vs Quantitative.
What are the ways to represent data?
Tables, charts, and graphs are all ways of representing data, and they can be used
for two broad purposes. The first is to support the collection, organization, and
analysis of data as part of the process of a scientific study.
What are the different types of graphs?
The following are the different types of Graphs used for Data Representation.
 Line graphs
 Bar Graphs
 Pictographs
 Pie-Charts
 Frequency Diagrams and Polygons
 Scatter Diagrams

Bar charts, dot plots, waffle diagrams and pie charts

Bar Graphs and Its Types
A bar graph is used to show a comparison among categories. It may consist of two
or more parallel vertical (or horizontal) bars (rectangles). A bar chart is used to
compare two or more values with a small set of results.
Properties of Bar Graphs
 Every bar or column in a bar graph is of equal width.
 All bars have a common base.
 The height of the bar corresponds with the value of the data.
 The distance between each consecutive pair of bars is the same.
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Construction of a Bar Graph

1. Draw two perpendicular lines that intersect each other at a point O. Name
the vertical line as y-axis and the horizontal as x-axis.
2. Choose a suitable scale to determine the height of each bar.
3. Draw the bars at equal distance, with corresponding heights on the
horizontal line.
4. The space between the bars should be equal.
Types of Bar Graphs
There are two types of Bar Graphs:
 A vertical Bar Graph
 A horizontal Bar Graph

2- Dot Plot A
dot plot uses individual dots to represent data points, and it is commonly used to
show the distribution or frequency of data.

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Data Type:
 Categorical Data: Dot plots can display frequencies of different categories.
o Example: Number of players choosing different game modes (e.g.,
Adventure, Survival, Creative).
 Numerical Data: Dot plots can show the frequency or spread of numerical
data along a single axis.
o Example: Scores achieved by players in a game (e.g., 10 players
scored 50 points, 5 players scored 70 points, etc.).
Best for:
 Visualizing distributions or clusters of data points.
 Identifying outliers or patterns in a dataset.
 Small to medium-sized datasets where individual data points matter.
Advantages:
1. Shows the exact count of occurrences.
2. Highlights clusters and gaps in the data.
3. Easy to read for simpler datasets.
Example Use Cases:
 Number of quests completed by each player.
 Frequency of different weapon types selected in a battle.

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 Distribution of ages in a player base.

3- Waffle diagrams are a great alternative to pie charts when you want to display
proportions or percentages of a whole in a grid-based, blocky visual format.
Instead of circular slices (like in pie charts), waffle diagrams represent data as a
grid of squares, where each square corresponds to a percentage or fraction of the
total. This makes them easier to compare visually and ideal for specific types of
data.
the types of data you can use with waffle diagrams:
1. Percentage Data
 Waffle diagrams work best for data that represents proportions or
percentages.
 Examples:
o Survey results (e.g., 60% Yes, 40% No).
o Demographics (e.g., 50% male, 40% female, 10% other).
o Poll results (e.g., Map A: 35%, Map B: 45%, Map C: 20%).

2. Categorical Data
 Data that is divided into distinct categories with numerical values that add
up to a total.
 Examples:
o Product sales distribution (e.g., 30% Electronics, 40% Clothing, 30%
Home Goods).
o Energy sources (e.g., 40% Renewable, 50% Fossil Fuels, 10% Nuclear).

3. Resource Allocation
 Visualizing how resources (time, money, energy, etc.) are distributed.

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 Examples:
o Budget breakdown: 40% Rent, 20% Food, 10% Savings, 30% Other.
o Time allocation: 50% Work, 20% Leisure, 30% Sleep.

4. Population or Group Data

 Representing parts of a population or group.
 Examples:
o Age distribution: 30% Children, 50% Adults, 20% Seniors.
o Employee roles: 40% Engineers, 30% Designers, 30% Managers.
Advantages of Waffle Diagrams
1. Visually Clear: Each block represents a consistent unit, making it easier to
interpret proportions.
2. Granular Detail: The grid format allows viewers to "count" units for better
understanding.
3. Great for Small Comparisons: Waffle diagrams make it easier to compare
subtle differences between categories than pie charts.
4. Visually Appealing: They're colorful and easy to customize, which makes
them fun and engaging for players or viewers.

4- Pie charts are best suited for representing data that is divided into
categories or segments and adds up to a whole (e.g., 100%). They are most
effective for displaying proportions, percentages, or parts of a total. Here are
general data types and scenarios where pie charts are useful:

1. Percentage Data
 What: Data that represents proportions of a whole.
 Examples:
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o Market share of companies.

o Voter turnout percentages for different political parties.
o Distribution of expenses in a budget.

2. Categorical Data
 What: Data that can be divided into distinct categories, each with a
numerical value.
 Examples:
o Survey results showing preferences (e.g., favorite food, colors, or
activities).
o Types of users in an app (e.g., free users vs. premium users).

3. Resource Allocation
 What: Distribution of resources or items.
 Examples:
o A pie chart of a company’s budget (e.g., salaries, marketing,
development, etc.).
o Resource usage in a project or system (e.g., time, money, or
materials).

4. Population Distribution
 What: Distribution of a population across categories.
 Examples:
o Age groups in a population (e.g., children, adults, seniors).
o Gender or ethnic composition of a group.

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5. Progress or Achievements
 What: Percentages of goals completed or milestones achieved.
 Examples:
o Completion progress of a project.
o Progress in mastering different skills or tasks.

6. Polls and Voting

 What: Results of a poll or voting process.
 Examples:
o Voting results for a new feature or proposal.
o Player voting results in a game to choose the next map or game
mode.

7. Time Allocation
 What: Distribution of time spent on different activities.
 Examples:
o How people spend their day (e.g., work, sleep, leisure).
o Time spent on different tasks in a project.
When NOT to Use Pie Charts
Avoid using pie charts in the following cases:
1. Too Many Categories:
o If there are too many slices (e.g., more than 6-8), it becomes hard to
read. Bar charts are better in such cases.
2. Precise Comparisons:

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o Pie charts are not great for comparing precise values between
categories (e.g., bar charts or tables are better for this).
3. Data That Doesn’t Sum to a Whole:
o If the data doesn’t represent parts of a whole, pie charts can be
misleading.

Frequency diagrams, line graphs and scatter graphs

Frequency diagrams, line graphs, and scatter graphs are different types of charts
used to represent data visually. Each type is suited for specific kinds of data and
analysis. Here's a detailed explanation of each, including when to use them and
how they differ:

1. Frequency Diagram
A frequency diagram (often called a histogram) represents how often data points
occur, grouped into intervals (or "bins"). It’s useful for understanding the
distribution of data.
Data Type:
 Numerical data grouped into intervals.
 Discrete or continuous variables.
Key Features:
 The x-axis represents data intervals (e.g., age ranges or score ranges).
 The y-axis represents the frequency (i.e., how many data points fall into
each interval).
 Unlike a bar chart, frequency diagrams deal with numerical ranges rather
than categories.
Best For:
 Showing the distribution of data (e.g., normal distribution, skewed
distribution).

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 Identifying patterns, clusters, or outliers in datasets.

 Analyzing grouped data.
Example Use Cases:
 Distribution of player scores in a game (e.g., how many players scored 0-10,
11-20, 21-30, etc.).
 Number of quests completed by players grouped by intervals.
 Time spent by players in different ranges (e.g., 0-5 minutes, 6-10 minutes).

2. Line Graph
A line graph connects data points with lines to show trends over time or
relationships between variables.

Data Type:
 Time-Series Data: Data that changes over time.

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o Example: Player count in a game server at different hours.

 Sequential Data: Data with a natural progression (e.g., levels, days,
months).
o Example: Revenue generated per month in a game.
 Continuous Data: Data where values are on a spectrum and can take any
number (e.g., temperature, speed).
Best for:
 Showing how data changes over time or with respect to another variable.
 Highlighting trends or patterns in a dataset.
 Comparing multiple trends on the same graph.
Advantages:
1. Makes it easy to identify upward or downward trends.
2. Effective for continuous or time-series data.
3. Useful for comparing multiple series of data.
Example Use Cases:
 Tracking the growth of daily active players in a game.
 Visualizing revenue trends over several months.
 Displaying how the server ping changes over the course of gameplay.

Key Differences Between Dot Plot and Line Graph

Feature Dot Plot Line Graph

Shows distribution or Shows trends,

Purpose frequency of data patterns, or changes
points. over time.

Data Type Categorical or Time-series or

numerical (often

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Feature Dot Plot Line Graph

discrete). continuous data.

Individual dots Data points are

Representation
represent data points. connected by lines.

Small datasets or
Tracking changes or
Ideal Use when individual
comparing trends.
points matter.

Better for showing Better for showing

Clarity individual values or overall movement or
clusters. trends.

Choosing the Right Visualization

 Use a Dot Plot if:
o You’re analyzing small, discrete datasets.
o You want to show exact values or frequencies.
o Distribution and outliers are more important than trends.
 Use a Line Graph if:
o You’re analyzing data over time.
o Trends or patterns are the main focus.
o Data is continuous or has a natural sequence.


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3. Scatter Graph
A scatter graph (scatter plot) displays individual data points on a graph to show
relationships or correlations between two variables.
Data Type:
 Two sets of numerical data that are paired.
 Both variables are continuous.
Key Features:
 The x-axis represents one variable, and the y-axis represents the other.
 Each point on the graph represents a pair of values.
 Helps identify correlations or patterns (e.g., positive, negative, or no
correlation).
Best For:
 Identifying relationships or correlations between two variables.
 Highlighting clusters or outliers in data.
 Exploring cause-and-effect relationships.
Example Use Cases:
 Correlation between playtime and in-game currency earned.
 Relationship between player skill level and match win rate.

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 Comparing time spent crafting vs. combat efficiency in a game.

Differences Between Them

Feature Frequency Diagram Line Graph Scatter Graph

Show frequency or
Show trends or Show relationships or
Purpose distribution of
changes over time. correlations.
data.

Numerical data
Sequential or Two paired numerical
Data Type grouped in
continuous data. datasets.
intervals.

Bars for intervals

Visual Points connected Individual points
(height =
Representation by lines. plotted on a graph.
frequency).

To analyze To track trends or To explore

When to Use distribution or sequential relationships
spread. changes. between variables.

Group 1: Bar Charts, Dot Plots, Waffle Diagrams, Pie Charts

Purpose:
These charts focus on categorical data or the proportions of a dataset. They are
more about static comparisons and distributions than changes or trends over
time.
Key Features:
 Comparative or proportional representation.
 Often used to break data into categories or parts of a whole.
 Data points are often discrete (not continuous).
Use Cases:

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 Representing categories, proportions, or distributions.

 Visualizing how much of a whole something represents or comparing
categories.
Visualizations:
1. Bar Charts:
o Used to compare values across categories.
o Height/length of bars shows magnitude.
o Best for discrete comparisons (e.g., favorite colors, sales by product).
2. Dot Plots:
o Used to show frequency or distribution in simple datasets.
o Dots stack up vertically for each category.
o Ideal for smaller datasets where individual data points matter.
3. Waffle Diagrams:
o Used to show proportions in a grid-like format.
o Represents percentages or parts of a whole using squares.
o Visually appealing and intuitive for percentages (e.g., 70% success
rate).
4. Pie Charts:
o Shows proportions of a whole as slices of a circle.
o Ideal for illustrating parts of a whole (e.g., survey responses, resource
allocation).
Summary for Group 1:
 Deals with categories or static distributions.
 Focuses on proportions, comparisons, or frequency.
 Often used when data doesn’t depend on time or sequence.

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Group 2: Frequency Diagrams, Line Graphs, Scatter Graphs

Purpose:
These visualizations focus on numerical data, particularly in showing trends,
relationships, or distributions. They often highlight time-series data or
relationships between two variables.
Key Features:
 Often used for time-based trends or continuous data.
 More about dynamics (e.g., how data changes over time or how variables
relate).
 Can highlight patterns, correlations, or changes.
Use Cases:
 Visualizing data trends, distributions, or relationships.
 Analyzing changes over time or exploring dependencies between variables.
Visualizations:
1. Frequency Diagrams (Histograms):
o Used to show the distribution of data across intervals (e.g., score
ranges).
o Bars represent the frequency of data points in each interval.
o Best for analyzing the spread or shape of data distributions.
2. Line Graphs:
o Used to show trends or changes over time.
o Connects data points with lines to emphasize patterns.
o Best for sequential data or tracking progress.
3. Scatter Graphs (Scatter Plots):
o Used to show relationships between two variables.

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o Points represent pairs of values.

o Best for identifying correlations, clusters, or outliers.

Summary for Group 2:

 Deals with numerical data, especially continuous or time-series data.
 Focuses on trends, distributions, or relationships.
 Often used when data depends on sequence or when relationships
between variables matter.

Comparing the Two Groups

Group 1: Bar Charts, Dot Plots, Group 2: Frequency Diagrams,

Feature
Waffle Diagrams, Pie Charts Line Graphs, Scatter Graphs

Numerical, time-series, or
Data Type Categorical or proportions.
continuous data.

Comparisons, proportions, or Trends, distributions, or

Focus
frequency. relationships.

Visualization Static (not time-based or Dynamic (often time-based or

Type sequential). relational).

To show proportions or category To analyze patterns, trends, or

When to Use
comparisons. correlations.

Favorite game mode, revenue Player count over time, score

Examples
by product, percentage of users. distributions, skill vs. win.

Ideal for Small Yes, simple and intuitive for Works better for larger,
Data small datasets. detailed datasets.

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Range
The range is the simplest measure of spread. It is the difference between the
largest and smallest items of data.
Range = Largest Value – Smallest Value
- There are some limitations to using range:
• It does not take into account anything about the distribution of any other
piece of data except the smallest and largest value.
• When data is given in a grouped frequency table, the range cannot be used.

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