Reading a Bar Graph and Finding the Tallest and Shortest Bar

You will meet this idea in ordinary days. Weather reports and farm records use bar graphs so a whole season can be understood in one look. This is worth learning because a graph shows in one look what a list of numbers hides.

Watch for it today, and when you spot it, tell someone what you noticed and how you knew. Ask yourself where else the same idea might be hiding, then go and look.

Here is today’s math treasure. A bar graph uses bars instead of pictures. The taller the bar, the larger the amount. Read the label under each bar to know what it counts, and read the numbers along the side to know how much.

The tallest bar is the most and the shortest is the least. You can compare two bars at a glance without doing any arithmetic at all, which is exactly why graphs exist.

Try reading a bar graph two ways. First, compare bar heights by eye. Then read the actual numbers on the side. If your eye and the numbers disagree, trust the numbers and look for what fooled you. Take your time. Careful is better than fast.