QuestionDescribe what is misleading in the visual display of data below.
World Population, in Billions
Choose the correct answer verow.
A. Time intervals on the horizontal axis do not represent equal amounts of time.
B. The bars on the vertical axis curve around the globe instead of being on a straight line.
C. Part of the time frame on the horizontal axis of the graph has been cut off.
D. The title does not explain what is being displayed.
Studdy Solution
STEP 1
What is this asking?
Why is this graph of world population over time a bad graph?
Watch out!
Don't get distracted by the 3D-ness of the graph.
Focus on the information presented.
STEP 2
1. Examine the horizontal axis.
2. Examine the vertical axis.
3. Examine the title.
STEP 3
The horizontal axis represents *time*, specifically the *year*.
Let's look at the spacing between the years.
From to is years.
From to is years.
See the problem?
The spacing on the horizontal axis should represent *equal intervals* of time, but it doesn't!
This makes the growth look smoother than it might actually be.
STEP 4
The vertical axis represents the world population in billions.
While the curved presentation around the globe is unusual, it doesn't actually misrepresent the data.
The height of the bars still accurately reflects the population.
So, the vertical axis isn't the problem.
STEP 5
The title "World Population, in Billions" clearly tells us what the graph is about.
So, the title isn't a problem either.
STEP 6
The answer is A.
The time intervals on the horizontal axis do not represent equal amounts of time, making the growth appear smoother than it might be.
The weird 3D presentation is distracting, but not the core problem.
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