Graphs Flashcards
What does a polar graph display?
Direction.
What are the advantages of using a polar graph?
Useful to display direction.
Primary way of displaying more than two or three values at once.
Gives a feel for the data as directional patterns are easy to see.
What are the disadvantages of using a polar graph?
It can be hard to determine a scale.
A key/colour is needed to distinguish between different aspects of the data.
What are the advantages of using a dispersion graph?
Easy to understand.
Show the datas distance from the mean.
Easy to identify anomalies.
Can be used with standard deviation.
What are the disadvantages of using a dispersion graph?
To be comparable data sets must have the same scale.
Requires a large volume of data to work best.
What are the advantages of using a scatter graph?
Shows the relationship between data and the trends.
Easy to see strength of the relationship.
Shows minimum and maximum and easy to spot outliers.
What are the disadvantages of using a scatter graph?
Flat line of best fit gives inconclusive data.
Hard to visualise results in a large data set.
What are the advantages of using a kite diagram?
Useful for displaying changes over distance.
Visually clear and comparisons can be made.
What are the disadvantages of using a kite diagram?
They are visually subjective and the scale can influence the effect.
Only works with specific data. (data must be plotted along a transect.)
What are the advantages of using a logarithmic graph?
Can plot data that increases exponentially.
Allows data sets which are very different to be plotted together.
Shows rate of change.
What are the disadvantages of using a logarithmic graph?
Easy to make mistakes while plotting.
Positive and negative values cannot be plotted on the same graph.
Smaller data may be lost as it is difficult to see.
What are the advantages of using a triangular graph?
They work well when three variables are being compared.
Large volumes of data can be presented on one graph.
Patterns can easily be identified.
What are the disadvantages of using a triangular graph?
Can be difficult to create and interpret.
Data must be converted into percentages.
What are the advantages of using a bipolar analysis?
A large volume of data can be plotted on one graph.
Patterns can be identified quickly between different data sets.
Comparisons can be made between different data sets.
What are the disadvantages of using a bipolar analysis?
The results are based on perceptions and therefore are not objective.
Can become overcrowded with lots of data sets.
Data sets with similar results may be difficult to distinguish from one and other.
