Graphs

Abstract

We see graphs everywhere: on television and in newspapers and periodicals. Graphs - which term we use here to include also diagrams and pie charts - allow you to present information in a compact and comprehensible fashion. An example is shown in the adjacent figure, where McDonalds explains the nutritional value of their French fries (medium). The graph shows the caloric value and the amounts of protein, fat, carbohydrate and sodium. For the consumer, however, this information is not sufficient by itself; how do you know if 5 grams of protein is a lot or a little? As a solution to this problem, the designer of the graph has shown the quantities as the percentages of these components that an adult requires per day. In this way, you see at a glance that 5 grams of protein is 7% of what an adult requires per day.