Final answer:
Bar charts can indeed be created with either vertical or horizontal bars without negatively affecting how the data is interpreted. The primary function of bar graphs is to facilitate comparisons between different categories, regardless of bar orientation.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is true that bar charts can typically be formed with the bars vertical or horizontal without adversely affecting the interpretation.
In bar graphs, rectangles or rectangular boxes represent data and they can be oriented vertically or horizontally.
Whether you use vertical or horizontal bars, what is essential is the ability to compare the sizes, quantities, or rates being represented.
Nonetheless, the principal goal of a bar graph is to compare quantitative categories like size, quantity, rates, and distances. The orientation of the bars (horizontal or vertical) does not change this primary function.
While the orientation of the bars is flexible, presentation choices can influence perception.
For instance, the height of the vertical axis in a bar graph can make the variations in bar heights appear more or less significant, but these are considerations of graph design rather than the orientation of the bars themselves.