Graphing Discrete Data

Graphing discrete data involves plotting individual data points that represent distinct values or categories. Common graph types include bar charts, pie charts, and dot plots for clear visualization.

For graphing discrete data, the goal is to represent individual, countable values clearly. Here are some effective options:

Bar Chart

A bar chart uses rectangular bars to show the frequency or count of each discrete category. The height (or length, if horizontal) of each bar corresponds to the number of occurrences. Simple and straightforward for comparing the frequencies of different discrete categories. Ideal for displaying counts of distinct categories, such as the number of people in different age groups or the number of items sold by type.

Pie Chart

A pie chart represents discrete data as slices of a circle, with each slice proportional to the category’s frequency or percentage of the total. Effective for showing the relative proportions of each category within a whole. Best for visualizing the distribution of discrete categories as a percentage of the total, such as the market share of different products.

The following tutorial covers how to create bar and pie charts in Excel and in Google Sheets: 

Histogram

A histogram displays the frequency distribution of continuous data by dividing the data into intervals (bins) and plotting the number of data points that fall into each interval. Provides a clear view of the data distribution and allows you to see patterns such as skewness or modality.

Ideal for showing the distribution of data, such as the range of test scores or measurements.

Each of these methods has its strengths depending on the nature of the discrete data and the information you want to make clear. Bar charts and column charts are the most commonly used for discrete data due to their clarity and ease of comparison.