1.8: Visuals Help You Communicate
- Page ID
- 5795
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Pie charts are great for illustrating comparisons between a part and the whole. Segments of the chart represent percentages of the whole.
Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\) - “Causes of concussion” by delldot is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
LINE GRAPH
Line graphs help you emphasize a particular trend over time.
Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\) - “Increase in Textbook Prices” by David Ernst, Open Textbook Network is licensed under CC BY 4.0
BAR GRAPH
Bar graphs serve basically the same purpose as line graphs, emphasizing trends over a particular period of time.
Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\) - “Single Bar Graph” by Lauren Manning is licensed under CC BY 2.0
TABLE
Tables are a good way to visually organize complex numerical information, especially if you have a lot of data.
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PHOTOGRAPH
Photographs depict people, situations, or ideas that might be discussed in your text.
Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\) - “College” by univfajar is in the Public Domain, CC0
DIAGRAM
Diagrams are used most often in scientific or technical writing because of their ability to convey complex processes and structures simply.
Figure \(\PageIndex{5}\) - “Tugboat diagram” by Al2 with minor modifications by Lycaon – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.
FLOWCHART
Flowcharts are great for showing structure as well as steps in a linear process.
Figure \(\PageIndex{6}\) - “Flow chart determining reusability of a portrait photo” by Sebastiaan ter Burg is licensed under CC BY 4.0
MAP
Maps are the perfect choice for illustrating geographical distances, demographics, or other data that is at least partially dependent on place.
Figure \(\PageIndex{7}\) - “Oregon Trail wikivoyage map” by Gorilla Jones is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0