Question

describe what is misleading in the following visual display of data.
click the icon to view the bar graph.
choose the correct answer below.
a. the scale of the vertical axis makes the differences in bar height look larger than they really are
b. the wrong impression has been created about how the data are changing because equally spaced intervals are not used on the horizontal axis
c. the bars are not scaled proportionately in terms of the data they represent
d. the images in front of or behind each bar make it look as though the bars are taller than they really are.

Explanation:

When analyzing a bar graph, one common issue is how the vertical axis scale can distort perception. If the vertical axis has a non - standard or exaggerated scale (e.g., starting from a non - zero value or having large intervals that make small differences seem large), it can mislead the viewer. Option B is about the horizontal axis (which is usually for categories, and equal spacing for categories is not a strict requirement in all bar graphs). Option C is about bar scaling proportionally (not relevant if the issue is with the axis scale). Option D is about images (not mentioned in the general description of bar graph mis - leading aspects related to axis scales).

Answer:

A. The scale of the vertical axis makes the differences in bar height look larger than they really are