Question

A company is presenting the sales data using a bar graph. The company asserts that the sales increased substantially from 2006 to 2008 using Bar Graph 1. Their competitor used the same sales data to produce Bar Graph 2. Which bar graph is misleading? How do you know?

A bar graph titled Annual sales (in thousands) has year on the x-axis and number on the y-axis, from 2.25 to 6 in increments of 0.25.

A bar graph titled Annual sales (in thousands) has year on the x-axis and number on the y-axis, from 0 to 7 in increments of 1.



a.
Bar Graph 2 is misleading because it does not show that the sales increased from 2006 to 2008.

b.
Bar Graph 1 is misleading because the vertical axis does not start at 0 and the scale for the graph is 0.25 instead of 1.

c.
Bar Graph 2 is misleading because the vertical axis starts at 0 and increases by units of 1.

d.
Bar Graph 1 is misleading because shows the sales for all eight years.




Please select the best answer from the choices provided


A
B
C
D

Answer 1

B

Bar Graph 1 is misleading because its vertical axis is truncated (starts at 2.25) and uses tiny 0.25 increments, which exaggerates the apparent change. Bar Graph 2, which starts at 0 and uses a full scale, shows the true (smaller) magnitude of the increase.