Deck 9: Plots, Graphs, and Pictures

Question 1

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a good plot, graph, or picture of data?

A)A source must be given for the data.
B)The picture should contain as much information, color, and extra material as possible to keep readers interested.
C)The labels should be clear and informative.
D)All of the above are good characteristics of a good plot, graph, or picture of data.

Answer 1

The picture should contain as much information, color, and extra material as possible to keep readers interested.

Question 2

Which of the following should be indicated by the labels on a graph?

A)The title or purpose of the picture.
B)What each of the axes, bars, pie segments, etc., denotes.
C)The scale of each axis, including starting points.
D)All of the above.

Answer 2

All of the above.

Question 3

What is one advantage of a bar graph over a pie chart?

Answer 3

a bar graph is much more versatile.it can be used to represent actual frequencies instead of percentages, and to represent proportions that are not required to sum to 100%.

Question 4

Although a scatterplot can be more difficult to read than a line graph, it displays more information.Explain why.

Question 5

Which of the following is not true about the plots, graphs, or pictures of data that you come across in the media?

A)Most of these pictures can give you a clear, quick visual summary of that data.
B)One purpose is to convey a message more quickly than if you had to study the data on your own.
C)Very few of the pictures are misleading because they are checked for accuracy and fairness before being presented.
D)None of the above.

Question 6

Which of the following is not a type of picture for organizing categorical data?

A)A pie chart.
B)A bar graph.
C)A pictogram.
D)A histogram.

Question 7

The following is an example of what type of data picture?

A)A pie chart.
B)A bar graph.
C)A pictogram.
D)A line graph.

Question 8

A __________ is like a bar graph except that it uses pictures related to the topic of the graph.

Question 9

Use the following narrative: Narrative: Lottery dollar. Suppose you came across the following graph in the paper, accompanied by an article on where each dollar spent on lottery tickets goes.

{Lottery dollar narrative} This graph has a problem, according to the four characteristics that any good graph should have.What is the problem with this graph?

Question 10

A __________ can be used to represent two or three categorical variables simultaneously.

Question 11

What type of data situation is best for using a pie chart (discuss type of data and number of variables)?

Question 12

Which of the following is not possible to include on a bar graph?

A)Frequency in each category for a categorical variable.
B)Information representing two or three categorical variables simultaneously.
C)Proportions that are not required to sum to 100%.
D)All of the above are possible with a bar graph.

Question 13

Name three basic characteristics that a good plot, graph, or picture of data should exhibit.

Question 14

Name three types of statistical pictures that are used to represent measurement data.

Question 15

The following is an example of what type of data picture?

A)A pie chart.
B)A bar graph.
C)A pictogram.
D)A line graph.

Question 16

It is easy to be misled by pictograms.Explain how.

Question 17

The focus of each type of data picture for categorical data is conveying information about the relative size of groups compared to each other.Explain what is meant by 'relative size.'

Question 18

What is the purpose of a plot, graph, or picture of data?

Question 19

What does each dot on a scatterplot represent, in terms of both the individuals and their measurements?

Question 20

Name a situation in which a scatterplot is most useful for displaying measurement data.

Question 21

Even if you were to account for the trend, seasonal components, and smooth irregular cycles, you would still not be able to perfectly explain or predict a time series plot.Why not?

Question 22

What two things should you check regarding the timeline of a time series in order to avoid being misled?

Question 23

If a long-term trend in a time series plot is linear, we can estimate it by finding a regression line, with time period as the __________ variable.

Question 24

Which of the following does not describe a time series plot with an irregular cycle?

A)It repeatedly goes up and back down smoothly, but with an irregular pattern so as not to be predictable.
B)It randomly fluctuates with no pattern at all.
C)Its irregularity can often be explained by outside factors such as political or social situations.
D)All of the above.

Question 25

Which of the following components of a time series plot is defined as what's left over when the other three components have been removed?

A)Random fluctuations
B)Seasonal components
C)Irregular cycles
D)Long-term trend

Question 26

Why is it important for a manufacturer to know about any seasonal component to the time series of the sales of their product?

Question 27

A(n) __________ is useful for displaying the relationship between two measurement variables.

Question 28

Most time series contain the same four components Name two of them.

Question 29

What characteristics do statistical pictures of measurement data allow us to examine?

A)Trends or patterns in the data.
B)Variability in the data.
C)The overall shape of the data.
D)All of the above.

Question 30

How does a time series plot differ from a histogram?

A)A histogram displays one measurement variable, but a time series plot displays data with two measurement variables (time is one of them).
B)A histogram displays data collected at one point in time, while a time series plot displays data collected over a series of times.
C)If a histogram is flat, that indicates more variability than if it were bell-shaped.If a time series plot is flat, that indicates less variability than if it were bell-shaped.
D)All of the above.

Question 31

Measurement data displayed in terms of how they change over time can not be represented by what type of statistical picture?

A)A line graph.
B)A bar graph.
C)A histogram.
D)All of the above can be used.

Question 32

The following is an example of what type of data picture?

A)A pie chart.
B)A scatterplot.
C)A pictogram.
D)A line graph.

Question 33

How can a time series plot mislead the reader into thinking that a trend in the data is long term, when in fact it is only short term?

Question 34

Which of the following does not describe a time series?

A)A time series is a record of a variable across time.
B)A time series is usually measured at equally spaced time intervals.
C)A time series is a data set on numerous individuals measured in units of time (for example, time until completion of the obstacle course; or time until graduation).
D)All of the above describe a time series.

Question 35

Name one way in which a time series plot can be misleading.

Question 36

Explain why it is not wise to forecast a trend very far into the future.

Question 37

The following is an example of what type of data picture?

A)A line graph.
B)A scatterplot.
C)A Cartesian coordinate graph.
D)None of the above.

Question 38

Which of the following describes the result of seasonally adjusting a time series (such as the unemployment rate)?

A)The seasonal extremes have been removed.
B)One time period no longer dominates each year as the high or the low.
C)The variability is reduced.
D)All of the above.

Question 39

Name two questions you should ask to avoid being misled when reading time series data.

Question 40

A(n) __________ is a good way to represent measurement data as it changes over time.

Question 41

A statistical picture isn't worth much if the __________ can't be trusted.

Question 42

What is wrong with the following histogram?
SHAPE \* MERGEFORMAT

Question 43

For Questions use the following narrative:
Narrative: Average hourly earnings
The graph below, done in 1998 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, represents the average hourly earnings of U.S.workers from 1947-1998 (in 1998 dollars).

{Average hourly earnings narrative} The designers of this graph expressed all their data in terms of 1998 dollars.Explain why they did this, and whether or not you think this is a good idea.

Question 44

In what way(s) can a poorly done histogram be misleading?

A)Changes in labeling on one or more axes.
B)Not starting at zero as a way to exaggerate trends.
C)Using poor information.
D)All of the above.

Question 45

For Questions use the following narrative
Narrative: Pick 3 lottery
The Kansas Pick 3 Lottery results through 3/15/97 are shown in the table below.In this game, three numbers are drawn each week, and numbers can be repeated (such as 2, 3, 3).

{Pick 3 lottery narrative} Display the data in a bar graph that makes the point that each number is drawn about the same percentage of the time.

Question 46

In what way(s) can a poorly done pie chart be misleading?

A)Changes in labeling on one or more axes.
B)Not starting at zero as a way to exaggerate trends.
C)Using poor information.
D)All of the above.

Question 47

For Questions use the following narrative:
Narrative: Average hourly earnings
The graph below, done in 1998 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, represents the average hourly earnings of U.S.workers from 1947-1998 (in 1998 dollars).

{Average hourly earnings narrative} Describe the scale used on the vertical axis and whether or not it is appropriate.

Question 48

Name 3 of the 12 questions you should ask when you look at a statistical picture, before trying to interpret it.

Question 49

For Questions use the following narrative
Narrative: Pick 3 lottery
The Kansas Pick 3 Lottery results through 3/15/97 are shown in the table below.In this game, three numbers are drawn each week, and numbers can be repeated (such as 2, 3, 3).

{Pick 3 lottery narrative} Using the number of times each number was drawn, display the data in a bar graph that looks as though the number 1 was chosen much less often, and number 2 much more often, than the other numbers.(This will be a misleading graph.) Explain why the lottery chose to display their data in a similar way in their newsletter.

Question 50

If the scale on the vertical axis is in very large increments with very little space between each one, what does this do to the appearance of the data?

A)It makes differences appear smaller than they really are.
B)It makes differences appear larger than they really are.
C)It does nothing to affect the appearance of the data.
D)It makes the information easier to read and understand.

Question 51

Which of the following would automatically mean a statistical picture is misleading?

A)A histogram where the scale is very large.
B)A pictogram where all money is converted to current U.S.dollar amounts.
C)A line graph where the axes do not start at zero.
D)None of the above.

Question 52

Suppose you have data on the number of accidents at a certain inter

A)A bar graph with one bar for each year of data available; the bars are an equal distance apart.
B)A line graph with the years from 1960 through 1990 marked off in equal increments and dots on the line graph representing the number of accidents for the years for which data are available.The dots are connected with lines.
C)A pie chart with a slice for the percentage of accidents occurring in each of the four years for which data is available.
D)Any of the above.

Question 53

Name two of the five most common problems in plots, graphs and pictures.

Question 54

Which of the following is not true about a plot, graph, or picture of data?

A)Extraneous information should be excluded; the more extra information on a graph, the more confusing it can get.
B)Many graphs are misleading; the public must look at them critically before trying to interpret their results.
C)The scale on a graph doesn't matter.Measurement data can be displayed using any scale as long as that scale is consistent.
D)All of the above statements are true.

Question 55

Units of measurement are important.If a graph showed the number of crimes in each state for a given year, this would be misleading; the __________ should be reported instead.

Question 56

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a good plot, graph, or picture of data?

A)Financial data collected over time should be adjusted for inflation.
B)Any breaks between years where data is missing should be closed in and not left as empty spaces.
C)The labels should be clear and informative.
D)All of the above are good characteristics of a good plot, graph, or picture of data.

Question 57

Many time series measure variables that either increase or decrease steadily across time.This steady change is called a(n) __________.