Reading and Interpreting Tables and Graphs

SAT Math · Axiom Academy

Reading & Interpreting Tables & Graphs Master extracting information from data visualizations The SAT uses several types of data visualizations. You need to be able to quickly identify and interpret each type. Bar graphs display categorical data with rectangular bars. The height represents the frequency or value. Histograms show distributions of continuous data. Example 1: Reading a Bar Graph Question: Based on the bar graph showing car colors in a parking lot: Question: How many more cars are silver than red? Line graphs show how a quantity changes over time. Each point represents a value at a specific time, and the line connects consecutive points. Example 2: Reading a Line Graph Question: A line graph shows temperature throughout the day. At 9 AM, the temperature is 65°F. At 3 PM, it's 82°F. What is the rate of temperature increase (per hour)? Time difference: 3 PM - 9 AM = 6 hours Temperature change: 82°F - 65°F = 17°F Rate = 17°F ÷ 6 hours ≈ 2.83°F per hour Two-Way Tables (Frequency Tables) Two-way tables display the relationship between two categorical variables, showing counts for all possible combinations. Example 3: Reading a Two-Way Table A survey of 100 students about lunch preferences: Question 1: How many students prefer pizza? Answer: 60 Question 2: What percent of females prefer salad? Answer: (28/60) × 100% ≈ 46.7% Strategies for Graph Reading Speed Read the title first: It tells you what data is displayed

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