Data can be confusing if it is not organized. When data is organized, however, you can get a lot more information out of it. The simplest way to organize information is to create a chart that shows how many times each possible response was given. A tally mark is placed next to a response each time it is given. This creates a
. Here is an example:
Using this kind of chart, you can organize your information even more. You can create a kind of graph that uses Xs or other marks to show how many times each response was given. The Xs can be stacked on top of each other vertically or go horizontally (side to side). This way of showing data is called a
. It might look like this:
Another kind of chart you can make looks a bit like the one above. It's called a
, though, because instead of Xs it uses bars. The length of each bar matches how many times a response is given. Like the tally chart, the bars can be vertical or horizontal. This is what it might look like:
When you have your data organized, you can look at it in different ways. Each way gives you some ideas about what you have collected data on. For instance, you can tell which response has the lowest value. This is called the
. The response with the highest value is called the
. The
is the difference between these two landmarks.
With your data organized from smallest to greatest, you can take turns crossing off the lowest and highest values until only one is left. If two values are left you would find the value that is half way between them. This middle point is called the
.
Sometimes one response is given more times than any other. It is easy to see on a graph because it sticks out more than any other. This response is called the
. In the last picture above, this would be Strawberry.