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On 18 Jan 2009 the table of data was removed (with no comment explaining why). But the text of the article still refers to the table, which reference is confusing to the reader. Although the table of data does take up some space, I think it is helpful in explaining the chart. After all, the whole purpose of a bar chart is to visualize data.
For example, since humans can more easily process differences in line length than surface area, it may be more effective to use a bar chart (which takes advantage of line length to show comparison) rather than pie charts (which use surface area to show comparison). [35]
The scientific argument is: In a perfect world, everyone would be as facile as scientists are at evaluating data, and scientists find bar charts easier to use. The pragmatics are: Only a small part of the population are scientists, and bar charts are less assessable to them.
Statistical graphics have been central to the development of science and date to the earliest attempts to analyse data. Many familiar forms, including bivariate plots, statistical maps, bar charts, and coordinate paper were used in the 18th century.
William Playfair (22 September 1759 – 11 February 1823) was a Scottish engineer and political economist.The founder of graphical methods of statistics, [1] Playfair invented several types of diagrams: in 1786 he introduced the line, area and bar chart of economic data, and in 1801 he published what were likely the first pie chart and circle graph, used to show part-whole relations. [2]
Tables are preferable to graphics for many small data sets. A table is nearly always better than a dumb pie chart; the only thing worse than a pie chart is several of them, for then the viewer is asked to compare quantities located in spatial disarray both within and between pies – Given their low data-density and failure to order numbers ...
A bar chart or bar graph is a chart or graph that presents categorical data with rectangular bars with heights or lengths proportional to the values that they represent. The bars can be plotted vertically or horizontally. A vertical bar chart is sometimes called a column chart and has been identified as the prototype of charts. [1]
Data charts often are called graphs" In: Cary Jensen, Loy Anderson (1992). Harvard graphics 3: the complete reference. p.413 "A chart represents the current data in a table. If the table is updated, the chart will reflect the change. A chart can represent a selected set of records in a table as well as the entire table."