Data Handling

Data Handling
Go back to  'Data'

We are all surrounded by information. Inside our home, in the classroom, marketplace, space, so on. The list is endless.

Imagine you own an ice cream parlor.

What are the different kinds of information you require to decide on which flavors of ice cream would you be selling?

You won't practically have each and every flavor that exists all around the world. Certainly, you will shortlist a countable number of flavors based on certain parameters. What would be those?

How will you collect the information and utilize it to make appropriate decisions?

There's much more than just this that you need to consider to run an ice cream parlor. Data handling helps to analyze the data and make better inferences and decisions.

Have a look at different ways data can be represented.

This mini-lesson helps us to understand how the study of data handling and graphical representation of the data along with other tools help us in dealing with numerical data.

Let's get going!

What Is Data Handling?

Anything that can be grouped based on certain comparable parameters can be thought of as data

Parameters mean the context in which the comparison is made between the objects.

Data Handling is the process of gathering, recording, and presenting information in a way that is helpful to analyze, make predictions and choices.

Data is usually represented in the form of pictographs, bar graphs, pie charts, histograms, line graphs, stem and leaf plots, etc.

All of them have a different purpose to serve.

Have a look at the composition of the air that we have learned about in our science classes.

The constituents of air are presented with different colors in the forms of parts of a pie.

Do you think, a bar chart, line graph, or any other graphical representation would be able to communicate the information as effectively as this one.

Definitely no!

With a detailed study of each of them, you can clearly understand the purpose of each of them and use them suitably.

Steps Involved in Data Handling

Following are the steps to follow in data handling:

 Steps Details Purpose The problem or purpose is identified and well defined Collection of Data Data relevant to the purpose is collected Presentation of Data The collected data is to be presented in a form that is meaningful and easy to understand. It could be in the form of a simple table or tally marks etc. Graphical representation of data Visual representation makes analysis and understanding of trends quicker and has a much greater impact. Analyzing the data The data undergoes inspection to derive useful and necessary information that helps in taking further actions. Conclusion/Inference Here we provide a solution to our problem statement based on the analysis of the data.

After going through the process of data handling, let's have a quick glance at various types of graphical representation of data.

Types of Graphical Representation

There are a number of graphical ways data can be represented.

Here is a list of various types of graphical representation of data that are very effective in data handling.

 Bar Graphs They represent data in the form of vertical or horizontal bars. Picture Graph/Pictographs The information is presented in the form of pictures. Line graphs The data is presented using lines. Pie chart A circle is divided into smaller sectors to denote certain information. Scatter Plot Points are plotted and then the best fit line is drawn through some of the points.

Important Notes
1. Data Handling is the process of gathering, recording, and presenting information in a way that is helpful to analyze, make predictions and choices.
2. Data analysis involves 6 steps: Identifying the purpose, collecting relevant data, presenting it in an organized manner, representing information using a suitable graph, analyzing it, and then drawing an inference.

Solved Examples

 Example 1

Henry wants to introduce his 5-year-old daughter to data handling. Which type of graphical representation can he use for this?

Solution

As his daughter is just 5 years old, he should prefer using Pictograph to introduce data handling.

In this representation, simple pictures like circles, stars are drawn to represent different data.

 Example 2

How is data represented graphically?

Solution

Various types of graphs that can be used for representing data are:

1. Bar graph
2. Scatter plot
3. Line graph
4. Area plot
5. Pie chart/ Circle chart
6. Picture graph

Depending on the purpose, a suitable graph can be chosen.

 Example 3

Here is a review of an electronic product. Out of all the people who gave their reviews, 16 of them gave a 5-star rating to the product. Can you find out how many people provided their feedback in all?

Solution

Let the total reviews be "$$x$$"

Number of people who gave 5 star = 16

Percentage of people who gave 5 star = 64%

\begin{align} \text{So, number of people who gave 5 star } &= 64\% \times x\\16&=\dfrac{64}{100}\times x\\\dfrac{16\times100}{64}&=x\\\therefore x&=25\end{align}

 $$\therefore$$ 25 people gave the review for the product

Think Tank
• How is a heat map useful in the analysis?
• Are the line graph and linear graph the same?

Interactive Questions

Here are a few activities for you to practice.

Let's Summarize

We hope you enjoyed learning about data handling with simulations and practice questions. The math journey around the data handling starts with what a student already knows, and goes on to creatively crafting a fresh concept in the young minds. Done in a way that not only it is relatable and easy to grasp, but also will stay with them forever. Here lies the magic with Cuemath.

At Cuemath, our team of math experts is dedicated to making learning fun for our favorite readers, the students!

Through an interactive and engaging learning-teaching-learning approach, the teachers explore all angles of a topic.

Be it worksheets, online classes, doubt sessions, or any other form of relation, it’s the logical thinking and smart learning approach that we, at Cuemath, believe in.

1. What is the difference between data and information?

The term data refers to the collection of certain facts that are quantitive in nature like height, number of children, etc. Information on the other hand is a form of data after being processed, arranged, and presented in a form that gives meaning to the data.

2. What are the types of graphical representations?

There are numerous types of graphical representation for the data that are available. Some of the most extensively used graphical representations are :

• Bar graph
• Scatter plot
• Line graph
• Area plot
• Pie chart/ Circle chart

3. What is the difference between the chart and graph?

The difference between chart and graph can be understood from the fact that "All graphs are charts but every chart is not a graph."

Charts display data in the form of a diagram, table, or graph. So, the graph is just a pictorial way of presentation of information.

More Important Topics
Numbers
Algebra
Geometry
Measurement
Money
Data
Trigonometry
Calculus