Math 125 Unit 10 Submission Assignment Answer Form ✓ Solved
Namemath125 Unit 10 Submission Assignment Answer Formdata Modelingal
Describe the purposes of three different types of data visualizations (graphs and charts). Provide an example of a realistic data set that would be displayed well with each type of graph or chart. (Do not include the graphs or charts).
Purpose of Bar Graphs and Data Example (5 points): Bar graphs are used to compare quantities across different categories, allowing easy visualization of differences in data. For instance, a bar graph showing the number of books read by different students in a class helps compare their reading habits.
Purpose of Pie Charts and Data Example (5 points): Pie charts illustrate proportions or percentages of a whole, providing a visual representation of how each part relates to the entire dataset. For example, displaying the percentage of total expenses allocated to different categories such as housing, transportation, and food.
Purpose of Line Graphs and Data Example (5 points): Line graphs display trends and changes over time, making them suitable for tracking data points across periods. For example, plotting monthly sales revenue over a year to observe seasonal fluctuations.
Analyzing Family Water Usage Data
A family of four is assessing their water consumption to identify opportunities for conservation. The table provides average daily water consumption per family member for various uses, along with weekly totals. To analyze their water use, the first step is to understand individual contributions and identify areas where intervention would be most effective.
1. Chart Selection for Comparing Family Members' Daily Water Use: To compare the individual daily water consumption of each family member, a bar graph would be most appropriate. Bar graphs effectively display comparative data across categories (here, each family member), making it straightforward to see who uses the most water daily. This visualization would help identify the primary contributors in daily water use and guide targeted conservation efforts.
2. Creating the Chart in MS Excel: (Note: To comply with task instructions, the actual chart creation is expected in MS Excel. Here, the expected graph is described.)
[The bar chart should display family members (Parent 1, Parent 2, Child 1, Child 2) on the x-axis, with daily gallons of water used on the y-axis. Each bar corresponds to a family member's total daily water usage, labeled clearly.]
3. Ranking Family Members by Daily Water Usage: Based on the data, the ranking from highest to lowest daily water usage would be:
- Parent 1
- Parent 2
- Child 1
- Child 2
4. Identifying Who Can Impact Water Consumption the Most: Parent 1 has the highest daily water usage, making them the most impactful in conservation efforts. By reducing usage in their daily routines, the family can achieve notable water savings.
5. Chart for Comparing Water Uses to Weekly Totals of Top Two Members: To compare different types of water use to weekly total consumption for Parent 1 and Parent 2, a stacked bar chart is suitable. This allows visualization of the contributions of each water use category to total weekly consumption, highlighting areas with the highest usage and potential for savings.
[Again, in MS Excel, create a stacked bar chart with categories such as Bath, Shower, Teeth Brushing, etc., on the x-axis, and weekly gallons on the y-axis, with separate stacks for each family member.]
6. Summary of Water Usage Types for Top Two Members: The graph would likely reveal that showering and outdoor watering are the largest contributors to weekly water consumption for both Parent 1 and Parent 2, indicating areas where conservation efforts could be most effective, such as shorter showers or smarter outdoor watering schedules.
7. Recommendations to Reduce Water Consumption: To decrease overall water use, the family can implement measures such as installing low-flow showerheads, limiting outdoor watering to early mornings or evenings, and repairing leaks promptly. Additionally, educating all family members on efficient water habits can lead to significant savings.
Analyzing Monthly Expenses Using Charts
The table provides monthly expenses for various categories over six months, with totals. To compare each expense category in relation to the total expenses, a pie chart or a 100% stacked column chart would be most effective, as these visualizations clearly depict each category's proportion relative to the entire expenditure. This helps identify which expenses constitute the largest portions of the family's budget and where potential cuts could be made.
[Expected in MS Excel: Create a pie chart with expense categories as slices, showing their percentage of the 6-month total. Label each slice accordingly.]
8. Insights from the Expense Comparison Chart: The chart would show that rent and groceries are among the largest expense categories, with rent consistently being a significant fixed expense, while grocery costs vary more considerably month to month, reflecting changing consumption patterns.
9. Chart for Visualizing Trends of Changing Expenses: To depict trends over time for expenses like water, electricity, groceries, or gas, a line graph is appropriate. It allows visualization of month-to-month fluctuations, helping to identify months with unusually high or low costs and potential causes.
[In MS Excel, create a line graph for one variable, such as electricity, with months on the x-axis and expense amounts on the y-axis.]
10. Identifying Outlier and Potential Reason: In the line graph, suppose April shows a spike in electricity expenses; this outlier could be due to increased air conditioning use or a service interruption leading to higher energy consumption in other months.
Understanding Data Presentation and Manipulation
Graphs and charts are powerful tools to communicate data, but they can sometimes mislead or manipulate interpretation. One potential way this can happen is through the use of inappropriate scales on axes, such as a truncated y-axis that exaggerates differences between data points, making small variations appear more significant than they are. This visual manipulation can evoke stronger emotional responses or distort perspectives, influencing viewers' perceptions unintentionally or intentionally.
References
- Few, S. (2012). Show Me the Numbers: Designing Tables and Graphs to Accelerate Decision Making. Analytics Press.
- The Elements of Graphing Data. Wadsworth.
- The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. Graphics Press.
Data Visualisation: A Handbook for Data Driven Design. Sage Publications. - The Data Visualization Sketchbook. Wiley.
The Data Visualisation Workshop. Manning Publications. Data Visualization: A Practical Introduction. Routledge. - The Functional Art: An introduction to information graphics and visualization. New Riders.