Skill: Interpret bar graphs

A bar graph uses bars to show how many items are in each category. The longer the bar, the greater the amount.

To read a bar graph:

1. Read the title to learn what the graph shows.
2. Read the labels to identify the categories.
3. Check the scale to see what each unit means.
4. Match the end of each bar to a number.
5. Compare the numbers or use them to solve the question.

Example

The bar graph shows students’ favorite fruits. Each square represents $1$ student.

Fruit	Number of students
Apples	■■■■ $(=4)$
Bananas	■■■■■■ $(=6)$
Grapes	■■■ $(=3)$
Oranges	■■■■■ $(=5)$

Question: How many more students chose bananas than grapes?

First, read the two bars:

• Bananas: $6$ students
• Grapes: $3$ students

Subtract to find how many more:

$$6-3=3$$

Answer: $3$ more students chose bananas than grapes.

The greatest amount is bananas, with $6$ students. The least amount is grapes, with $3$ students.