Page 1 of 6

Choosing an Appropriate
Data Display
BEFORE

Now

WHY?

You created different data

displays.

Youll choose appropriate

data displays.

So you can graph the results of a

competition, as in Ex. 10.

Data Displays Below is a summary of the different ways you can

display data and how each display is often used.

Word Watch
Review Words
line plot, p. 73
bar graph, p. 79
line graph, p. 84
circle graph, p. 88
stem-and-leaf plot, p. 653
box-and-whisker plot,
p. 657

Appropriate Data Displays

A line plot shows how often each number occurs.

A bar graph shows how different categories of data compare.

A line graph represents data that change over time.

A circle graph represents data as parts of a whole.

A stem-and-leaf plot displays all the data values and

orders the data from least to greatest.

1
2
3

0 1 2 2
4 8 8
9

A box-and-whisker plot shows the spread of data using

the median, the quartiles, and the extremes.

EXAMPLE

Choosing Between Two Displays

Stamps Which graph makes it easier to compare the number of people

who prefer sports stamps to the total number of people?

125
100 100
75
44
50
26 24
25
0

Sp
or
ts
Ar
An ts
im
al
Pe s
op
le
Ot
he
r

Sports 50%
Arts 22%
Animals 13%
People 12%
Other 3%

Favorite Subject on Stamps

Responses

Favorite Subject on Stamps

ANSWER The circle graph shows the whole, so it makes it easier to see
that 50% of the people chose sports as their favorite stamp subject.

662

Chapter 13

Probability and Statistics

Page 2 of 6

EXAMPLE

Making an Appropriate Display

Sunglasses You ask 20 people at a beach how many pairs of sunglasses

they own. The list below shows their responses. Make a data display that
shows the spread of data.
0, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 10
Solution
You can use a box-and-whisker plot to show the spread of data. The box
tells you that about half of the people own 2 to 4 pairs of sunglasses.
0

EXAMPLE

10

10

Choosing the Appropriate Display

Weather The data displays organize the daily high temperatures, in

degrees Fahrenheit, during a recent month in Boston, Massachusetts.
Which display is appropriate for finding the median high temperature?
3
4
5
6
7
8

6
0
3
0
2
4

1 4 5 7 8 9 9 9
3 3 4 6 6 6 8 8
0 2 3 5 5 7
3
5

Daily High Temperatures (F)

30 49 10 days

50 69 16 days
70 89 4 days

Key: 36  36
F
Solution
The stem-and-leaf plot is appropriate for finding the median high
temperature, 56
F, because it displays the data in order. The circle graph
is not appropriate because it does not display the temperatures.
with

Notetaking

For each type of data

display you studied in this
book, you may want to
include an example in
your notebook along with
a summary of the
information that you can
read from the display.

Your turn now

Choose an appropriate display for the given situation.

1. You record the temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit, at noon for seven

days in a row. The data are listed below. Which data display would
you use to show how the temperature changed during that time?
50
F

42
F

30
F

Lesson 13.7

32
F

45
F

55
F

50
F

Choosing an Appropriate Data Display

663

Page 3 of 6

INTERNET

Exercises

eWorkbook Plus
CLASSZONE.COM

More Practice, p. 720

Getting Ready to Practice

Vocabulary Match the data display with its description.
1. line plot

A. shows all values and orders data

2. circle graph

B. displays data changing over time

3. line graph

C. uses Xs to show how often a number occurs

4. stem-and-leaf plot

D. shows how data in various categories compare

5. bar graph

E. represents data as parts of a whole

6. Soccer Which data displays make it

possible to compare the number of

soccer players in each age group in
the table?

with
Example
1
2
3

Homework

Exercises
7
810
11, 12

Age

11

12

13

Players

Practice and Problem Solving

7. Tell which data display makes it easier to see the number of students

who read 5 books last month.

Books Read

Books Read

2 books 40%

Online Resources

3 books 30%

CLASSZONE.COM

4 books 20%

More Examples
eTutorial Plus

5 books 10%

8. Stocks The closing prices of a company stock on Monday through

Friday are listed in order below. Make a data display that shows the
change in price over the week.
$26.20, $25.50, $25.00, $24.80, $24.65
9. Concerts The list below shows the ages of the first twelve people who

enter a concert hall. Make a data display that orders the ages from least
to greatest. Then use the display to find the median of the ages.
34, 19, 60, 45, 42, 38, 49, 58, 70, 41, 39, 31
10. Bicycle Stunts The list shows the

scores of 10 athletes at a bicycle stunt

competition. Make a data display that
shows the median and the spread of
the scores.

664

Chapter 13

Probability and Statistics

Bicycle Stunt Scores

91.4 91.0 90.3 90.0 89.7

89.4 87.5 86.7 84.3 84.1

Page 4 of 6

Communication In Exercises 11 and 12, use the table below. It

shows the results of a survey asking 100 students their favorite
way to get in touch with friends.
11. Tell whether a line graph or a

Form of
communication

bar graph is appropriate for

displaying the data. Then use
your choice to make a display
of the results of the survey.
12. Make a data display that is

appropriate for comparing the

results for each category to the
overall results of the survey.

Responses

instant messaging

33

e-mail

20

telephone

28

letter writing

11

other

13. Critical Thinking Name two data displays that you can use to find the

mode of a set of data. Explain your reasoning.

14. Challenge Describe how you might use the following data displays to

show where most of the data belong: bar graph, line plot, circle graph,
and stem-and-leaf plot.

Mixed Review
15. Make a stem-and-leaf plot of the data. (Lesson 13.5)

32, 34, 14, 8, 18, 32, 36, 35, 9, 15, 12, 41, 37, 12, 16, 12, 10
16. Make a box-and-whisker plot of the data. (Lesson 13.6)

23, 62, 32, 32, 10, 24, 35, 27, 22, 21, 19, 16

Basic Skills Evaluate the expression.

17. 24  33  9

18. 61  5  23

19. 7  6  68  4

Test-Taking Practice
INTERNET

State Test Practice

CLASSZONE.COM

20. Extended Response The table shows the

cost to mail a post card in the United States

in different years. Tell which data display
you would use to show the changing cost
to mail a post card over the years. Explain
your choice. Then make the data display.

Lesson 13.7

Year

Cost of
post card

1960

$.03

1970

$.05

1980

$.10

1990

$.15

2000

$.20

Choosing an Appropriate Data Display

665

Page 5 of 6

13.4 TO
13. 7

Notebook Review
Check Your Definitions

stem-and-leaf plot, p. 653

leaf, p. 653
stem, p. 653
Review the
vocabulary
definitions in
your notebook.
Copy the review
examples in your
notebook. Then
complete the
exercises.

upper quartile, p. 657

lower extreme, p. 657
upper extreme, p. 657

box-and-whisker plot,
p. 657
lower quartile, p. 657

Use Your Vocabulary

1. Identify the stem and the leaf in the number 36.
2. Identify the lower quartile in the set of data:

15, 17, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 26, 29.

13.4 Can you recognize misleading statistics?
EXAMPLE Explain why the bar graph

could be misleading.
Value A appears to be one fourth of
Value B. However, using the scale,
Value A is about 63% of Value B,
because 100  160 63%.

180
160
140
120
100
0

3. Use the graph in the Example above. What fraction of Value B

does Value C appear to be without using the scale? using the scale?

13.5 Can you make stem-and-leaf plots?

EXAMPLE Make a stem-and-leaf plot of the data.

15, 11, 9, 7, 32, 21, 16, 9, 13, 17, 15, 8, 30, 20, 23
1 Order the stems
from least to
greatest.
0
1
2
3

666

Chapter 13

2 Write the leaves

next to their
stems.
0
1
2
3

9
5
1
2

7 9 8
1 6 3 7 5
0 3
0

4. Make a stem-and-leaf plot of the data.

5, 10, 12, 31, 28, 50, 8, 7, 15, 19, 24, 36

Probability and Statistics

3 Order the leaves

from least to
greatest.
0
1
2
3

7
1
0
0

8 9 9
3 5 5 6 7
1 3
2 Key: 23  23

Page 6 of 6

13.613.7 Can you make appropriate data displays?

EXAMPLE Make a box-and-whisker plot to show the spread of data.

4 8 9 12 14 15 15 16 17 20 21 25 26 33 33
3

12

12

15

18

21

24

16

27

30

25

33

33

5. Make a box-and-whisker plot of the data.

13, 16, 21, 31, 50, 18, 24, 19, 27, 22

6. The low temperature in a city was 52
F on Sunday, 49
F on Monday,

45
F on Tuesday, and 48
F on Wednesday. Make a data display that

shows the change in temperature over the four days.

about Lessons 13.413.7

7. Writing Describe how the scale can affect your impression of the

data in a line graph and in a bar graph.

Review Quiz 2
1. Which line graph might a travel agent use to convince people that train

travel is becoming too expensive? Explain your choice.

35
0

120
80
40
0
19
9
19 6
9
19 7
9
19 8
9
20 9
00

45

Train Travel Costs

Cost per person

(dollars)

55

19
9
19 6
9
19 7
9
19 8
9
20 9
00

Cost per person

(dollars)

Train Travel Costs

2. Make a stem-and-leaf plot of the data: 36, 33, 21, 8, 39, 24, 26, 50, 4, 16.
3. Make a box-and-whisker plot of the data: 80, 81, 90, 83, 74, 73, 91, 84, 86.
4. Survey In a survey of 100 people, 64 people liked a new movie, 20

people didnt like the movie, and the rest have not seen it. Make a data
display that compares the results for each response to all the responses.
Lessons 13.413.7

Notebook Review

667