Definition
Bar chart
A bar chart compares categories with separate rectangular bars whose lengths use one common scale.
View exact chart data
| Activity | Votes |
|---|---|
| Games | 4 |
| Drawing | 2 |
| Reading | 3 |
What it means
Look along the category labels, then follow each bar to the scale. A longer bar means a larger value because every bar starts from the same baseline and uses the same scale. The gaps matter: they show that the categories are separate, such as different activities or types of pet.
Remember it
Same starting line, same ruler, separate bars.
Example
A club survey records Draw 6, Build 4, and Read 8. Draw three equal-width bars from the zero baseline using the scale 0, 2, 4, 6, 8. The Read bar reaches 8, so Read has 2 more votes than Draw.
Watch for
Bars that start at different baselines or use different scales cannot be compared honestly as one bar chart. A continuous block with no category gaps usually represents a different kind of display.
Common mix-up
The bar’s length—not its decorative width—shows the value. A scaled chart may count by 2, 5, 10, or another stated interval instead of by 1.
Exact meaning
A bar chart represents values or frequencies for distinct categories with separate rectangular bars. The bars share a common baseline and scale, so each bar’s length encodes its category’s value.