Misusing Statistics

Explain why this graph may be misleading?

• the x-axis does not have equal intervals
• San Fransisco is not a real city
• you cannot have percents in a line graph
• the y-axis does not have equal intervals

The graph shows the results of a survey to determine student's favorite pets. Why is this graph misleading?

• The slices are the wrong color
• The slices are not the correct size
• The percents do not add up to 100
• Not misleading

What is misleading about this graph?
**choose the best answer

• Nothing is misleading about this graph.
• The democrats are too high.
• The y-axis does not start at zero, so it makes the democrats look much higher than the other two parties.

Why is this graph misleading?

• x axis intervals are different

• y axis intervals are different

• y axis doesn't start at 0

• you can't use different colors

Why is this graph misleading?

• broken scale (doesn't start at 0)

• uneven values on vertical axis

• unequal spacing of lines

• none of the above

Alden wanted to impress his parents by showing the rapid increase in his score on 5 tests. Which graph should he use to impress them?

• Graph 1

• Graph 2

• Neither

• Both

This graph shows the number of children interested in different activities in a class. Why is it misleading?

• uneven spacing of values in the vertical scale

• the graph is not misleading

• vertical scale starts at 8, instead of 0

• none of the above

This graph represents the number of different types of bird species in a zoo. Why is it misleading?

• broken scale

• values on the y axis scale are not uniform (the same)

• uneven spacing of values on the y axis

• none of the above

This graph shows the number of toys sold each month in a toy store. Why is it misleading?

• y axis scale not uniform (same)

• # of toys sold after May is not known

• uneven spacing on the x axis

• none of the above

Which graph is misleading?

• graph 1

• graph 2

• graph 3

• graph 2 and 3