Question

The graph shows the sales of cars in April. Explain why the graph is misleading. What might someone believe because of the graph?

1. The scale on the vertical axis begins at 244. This exaggerates the sales differences between the years.
Someone might believe that the sales of cars increased dramatically between 2004 and 2006, but the difference is only 10 cars.
2. The scale on the vertical axis begins at 244. This downplays the sales differences between the years.
Someone might believe that the sales of cars decreased dramatically between 2004 and 2006, but the difference is only 10 cars.
3. The scale on the horizontal axis begins at 244. This exaggerates the sales differences between the years.
Someone might believe that the sales of cars increased dramatically between 2004 and 2006, but the difference is only 2 cars.
4. The scale on the vertical axis begins at 244. This exaggerates the sales differences between the years.
Someone might believe that the sales of cars decreased dramatically between 2004 and 2006, but the difference is only 10 cars.

Answer 1

The scale on the vertical axis begins at 244. This exaggerates the sales differences between the years. Someone might believe that the sales of cars increased dramatically between 2004 and 2006, but the difference is only 10 cars.

What does the graph say?

The issue with the graph is related to the scale on the vertical axis, which starts at 244 instead of 0. This can lead to misconceptions about the data presented:

The scale on the vertical axis begins at 244, which exaggerates the sales differences between the years. This makes small differences in the data appear much larger than they actually are. For instance, the increase in sales between 2004 and 2006 looks significant on the graph, but in reality, it's a change of only 10 cars.

Therefore, the first statement is correct: "The scale on the vertical axis begins at 244. This exaggerates the sales differences between the years. Someone might believe that the sales of cars increased dramatically between 2004 and 2006, but the difference is only 10 cars."