Help With Graphing Math Problems
Graphing math problems requires you to create a graph to solve them. Usually, a graphing question asks you to identify a trend or discover what happened after a certain variable is introduced. Graphing problems may also ask you to find what is most popular with a certain group of people. You may have to create line graphs, bar graphs or pie graphs. Pictographs can also be used, although these are not as common.
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Reading the Problem
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Read the graphing problem at least twice before you create your graph. Make notes on the information that the problem provides for you. Many problems in elementary school will tell you which type of graph to make: pie, line, bar or picture. If the problem does not tell you which type of graph to use, then it is extremely important that you understand the question. Is it asking you to find how many Christmas trees were cut down over a certain period of years, or is it asking you to figure out how many trees were cut down in different cities in Illinois? In order to decide which graph to create, you will need the data and to understand the question and the graph's purpose.
Choosing Your Graph
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After you understand the question and the data in the math problem, you have to decide which graph to create. If you have to answer questions about trends or information over a period of several years, then a line graph is easiest to find the answers. An example of a problem for a line graph would be: How has the number of school carnival tickets purchased been affected since the price increased in 2005? Graph the tickets sold from 1992 to 2008. A bar graph works best if you are answering questions about different groups of people or businesses, and you are comparing them in some way.
You might answer a question like this with a bar graph: Which kindergarten classes made the most valentines for the retirement center? Your choice could also be a pie graph if you are comparing parts of a whole, such as how many sixth grade students enjoy certain types of TV shows.
Important Graphing Points to Remember
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One mistake many students make when creating graphs is they forget to add a title. Graphs must have a title that explains what they are about. Titles should be specific and almost boring, really. For example, with the bar graph example in Section 2, a good title would be: "Valentines Made by Kindergarten Students in Mahomet, Ill." Another important point to remember is that graphs need to be labeled so that the data are easy to understand. On a bar and line graph, both the "x" axis (horizontal line) and the "y" axis (vertical line) need to be labeled. With the Valentine example, the x-axis would be the teachers' names of each kindergarten class. The y-axis would be the number of valentines each class made. If they made several dozen, you might count by twos or fives on your y-axis, so your graph is not as tall as if you counted by ones. With a pie graph, you will need to label each slice or section of your pie. Some people write the label in the section. Others use different colors for each section, then they use a key to explain what each color represents. You can label a pie graph either way. Finally, always use a ruler with bar and line graphs, and use a compass with pie graphs. It will help you be neat, and your graph will have correct proportions.
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