Definition
Scaled bar chart
A scaled bar chart uses equal axis steps that each stand for several units.
View exact chart data
| Game | Votes |
|---|---|
| Tag | 20 |
| Skipping | 15 |
| Hoops | 25 |
What it means
First read the numbers on the value axis. They tell you what one step is worth. If the labels go 0, 5, 10, 15, each step adds 5. A bar that reaches the fourth step is 20, not 4. Equal spacing must always mean equal jumps.
Remember it
Read the scale before the bars: one step might be 2, 5, or 10.
Example
A playground-vote chart is marked 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25. The Tag bar reaches 20 and the Skipping bar reaches 15. Because one step is 5 votes, Tag has 5 more votes than Skipping.
Watch for
A chart with equally spaced marks labelled 0, 5, 11, and 15 is not using a consistent scale. Equal visual intervals must represent equal numerical jumps.
Common mix-up
Do not count the grid spaces as ones. Four steps on a scale of 5 represent 4 × 5 = 20, not 4.
Exact meaning
A scaled bar chart is a bar chart whose value axis counts in equal jumps greater than one, such as 2, 5, or 10. A bar’s value is found by reading its endpoint against those labelled intervals, not by counting each grid space as one.