StatisticsDeep Dive

Reading and Drawing Pictograms

Part of Bar Charts & PictogramsGCSE Mathematics

This deep dive covers Reading and Drawing Pictograms within Bar Charts & Pictograms for GCSE Mathematics. Revise Bar Charts & Pictograms in Statistics for GCSE Mathematics with 11 exam-style questions and 20 flashcards. This topic appears less often, but it can still be a useful differentiator on mixed-topic papers. It is section 7 of 10 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

Topic position

Section 7 of 10

Practice

11 questions

Recall

20 flashcards

Reading and Drawing Pictograms

Reading Pictograms

  1. Check the key: Find out what each symbol represents
  2. Count symbols: Count whole and partial symbols for each category
  3. Calculate: Multiply by the value from the key

Example: If Ford has 6 car symbols and the key shows 🚗 = 5 cars, then Ford sold 6 × 5 = 30 cars.

Drawing Pictograms

  1. Choose a suitable symbol: Related to the data (cars for car sales, books for library data)
  2. Decide on the scale: What will each symbol represent? Consider the range of your data
  3. Calculate symbols needed: Divide each value by your chosen scale
  4. Draw partial symbols: Use fractions for remainders (halves, quarters)
  5. Add key and labels: Make it clear what everything represents

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Bar Charts & Pictograms. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

Practice Questions for Bar Charts & Pictograms

In a pictogram, the key shows that one symbol represents 4 people. A row shows 3 and a half symbols. How many people does this row represent?

  • A. 3.5
  • B. 7
  • C. 14
  • D. 12
1 markfoundation

A bar chart comparing two companies' sales has a vertical axis starting at 900 rather than 0. Company A has sales of 950 and Company B has sales of 1000. Explain why this bar chart could be misleading.

2 markshigher

Quick Recall Flashcards

What is a bar chart?
A bar chart is a visual representation that uses rectangular bars to compare different categories or groups. The height of each bar represents the frequency or amount.
What is a pictogram?
A pictogram uses symbols or pictures to represent data. Each symbol represents a specific number of items, making the data more visually appealing and easier to understand at a glance.

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