Question

The production manager is going to present this information to the company's board of directors. Which graph should the manager use to best emphasize that the number of defects has remained relatively consistent throughout the year?

Answer 1

Third graph is the best one to emphasize that the number of defects has remained relatively consistent throughout the year.

Explanation:

First of all, we have to consider that variables that represent time are always independent, because the time doesn't depend on anything. So, in this case the variable months have to be in the horizontal, which is the independent variable correct position, and the vertical axis must contain the dependent variable, which is number of defects. Considering these important details, there are only two possible correct choices, the third and fourth graph.

Among those two, the third one emphasize better the relation between the given variables, basically because the length of the vertical axis is shorter, which allow to observe better the behaviour of the data, that's the only characteristic that differentiate the third graph from the fourth graph.

Therefore, the third graph is the answer.

Answer 2

To best emphasize the number of defects. Manager should use graph 3 (refer the image shown):

If we talk about graph 1, it can also be used but usually we put the time line on the horizontal axis, for the convenience and the quantity to be measured on the y-axis. In the graph 1, the time is placed on the vertical axis (x-axis) so it would not be a good pick for the manager.

Same is the case with graph 2 again we have time on the vertical axis. So it is not a good idea to with graph 2.

Graph 3 could be the best to emphasize the number of defects because first of all time is placed on the horizontal axis and the quantity to be shown is on the vertical axis. Secondly, the range of the vertical axis is less so it is easy to observe the data set on the graph quite distinctively. Therefore, graph 3 is the best pick.

Graph 4 is placed correctly in terms of vertical and horizontal axes but the range of vertical axis is quite high due to which the dispersion or the display of the data is quite compressed and it gets hard to visualize.