Simple Bar Graph/Diagram
A diagram in which each class or category of data is represented by a group of rectangular bars of equal width is known as a Simple Bar Diagram. It is the simplest type of bar diagram. In this diagram, each bar represents one figure only. The number of bars will be equal to the number of figures. These diagrams show only one characteristic of the data, such as sales, production, or population figures for various years.
The magnitude of data is determined by the bar’s height (or length). The lower end of the bar touches the base line; therefore, the height of a bar starts from the zero unit. These diagrams can be vertical or horizontal in layout:
- Vertical Bar Graph/Diagram: The diagram in which the magnitude of the data is presented vertically, i.e., along the Y-axis, is a Vertical Bar Diagram.
- Horizontal Bar Graph/Diagram: The diagram in which the magnitude of the data is presented horizontally; i.e., along the X-axis is a Horizontal Bar Diagram.
The bars of a bar diagram can be visually compared by their relative height, and data can be easily comprehended accordingly.
Example of Simple Bar Graph
The following table shows the percentage of monthly salary saved by each employee in a 100-person company. Create a vertical and a horizontal bar diagram to represent it.
Solution: