Reading Bar Graphs

A bar graph is a visual way to show information using bars of different heights or lengths to represent numbers.

To read a bar graph, look at the labels on the bottom and the numbers on the side. Each bar shows how many items are in each category.

Each bar represents a different category or group of data.

Look for the tallest bar; it shows the category with the most items.

Look for the shortest bar; it shows the category with the least items.

If two bars are the same height, it means those categories have the same number of items.

You compare the heights of the bars for those categories to see which one is bigger or smaller.

The title tells you what the bar graph is about.

The labels on the bottom represent the different categories being compared.

The numbers on the side represent the quantity or amount of items in each category.