Topic 4

Question 1

Continuous data

Answer 1

Numerical data that can take any value within a given range, e.g. heights and weights

Question 2

Discrete data

Answer 2

Numerical data that can only take certain values, e.g. shoe size

Question 3

Quantitative data

Answer 3

Results that can be expressed using numerical values

Question 4

Qualitative data

Answer 4

Results that can’t be expressed as numbers, e.g. opinions

Question 5

Proportional symbols map

Answer 5

good - Illustrates the differences between many places
bad - Not easy to calculate the actual value
good - Easy to read
bad - Time-consuming to construct

Question 6

Choropleth map

Answer 6

bad - Makes it seem as if there is an abrupt change in the boundary, Distinguishing between shades can be difficult
good - Shows a large amount of data, The clear visual impression of the changes over space

Question 7

Scatter graph

Answer 7

good - Clearly shows data correlation, Shows the spread of data
bad - Data points cannot be labelled, Too many data points can make it difficult to read

Question 8

Pie chart

Answer 8

good - Clearly shows the proportion of the whole,Easy to compare different components

bad - Does not show changes over time, hard to compare two sets of data

Question 9

Population pyramid

Answer 9

good - Easy to compare age and sex data
bad - Can take a long time to construct
good - Easy to read and annotate
bad - Detail can be lost in the data

Question 10

Compound or divided bar chart

Answer 10

good - A large amount of data can be shown on one graph

bad -bar chart can be difficult to read if there are multiple segments

good - Percentages and frequencies can be displayed on divided bar chart
bad - Can be difficult to compare sometimes

Question 11

bar chart

Answer 11

good - Summarises a large set of data
bad - Requires additional information
good - Easy to interpret and construct
bad - Does not show causes, effects or patterns, can be too simplistic

Question 12

Line graph

Answer 12

good - Shows trends and patterns clearly
bad - Does not show causes or effects
good - Quicker and easier to construct than a bar graph
bad - Can be misleading if the scales on the axis are altered

Question 13

Histograms

Answer 13

good - Large data sets can be graphed easily
bad - They can only be used for numerical data
good -You can compare data
bad - Can be difficult to pinpoint exact data values

Question 14

secondary sources

Answer 14

Leaflets
Posters
Newspapers
Journals

Question 15

Relief

Answer 15

Height and shape of ground surface, named features, overall appearance

Question 16

Physical features

Answer 16

Vegetation, climate, relief, drainage, distinct features

Question 17

Human features

Answer 17

Grouping of buildings - offices, homes, factories etc. Urban or rural or fringe settlements.

Question 18

Qualitative Data strengths and weaknesses

Answer 18

good -
More in-depth than quantitative data
More valid than quantitative data
bad -
Often a small sample size
Enquiries are not easy to duplicate

Question 19

Quantitative Data strengths and weaknesses

Answer 19

good -
Possible to have a larger sample size
Information can often be collected quickly
bad -
the meaning behind the results is not clear
Human error or equipment error can lead to mistakes in measurement

Question 20

Primary Data strengths and weaknesses

Answer 20

good -
Know that the data is reliable and valid
The data is specific to the enquiry
bad -
Time-consuming
May need specialist equipment/resources

Question 21

secondary data strengths and weaknesses

Answer 21

good -
Easy to access
Low cost or free
bad -
It is not specific to the enquiry
No control over the data quality