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Creating picture graphs

Practice creating picture graphs (pictographs) to represent data.

What is a picture graph?

Picture graphs display data using pictures and symbols. We are going to create some pictures graphs, but first, let’s look at an example.
Jessie sold ice cream last summer. She made a picture graph to show how many ice cream cones she sold on her first day.
An ice cream cone picture = 1 ice cream cone sold.
A picture graph shows the horizontal axis labeled Flavors and the vertical axis labeled Ice cream cones sold on day 1. Each ice cream cone flavor is listed along the horizontal axis from left to right as follows: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, and Peach. The number of ice cream cones sold on day 1 is represented by the number of pictures of ice cream cones plotted on the graph. Vanilla is represented by 7 pictures of ice cream cones, Chocolate is represented by 3 pictures of ice cream cones, Strawberry is represented by 5 pictures of ice cream cones, and Peach is represented by 2 pictures of ice cream cones.
Use the picture graph above to answer the following questions.
Practice Problem 1A
How many ice creams sold does 1
symbol equal?
Choose 1 answer:

Practice Problem 1B
How many strawberry ice creams did Jessie sell on her first day?
Choose 1 answer:

On Jessie's second day of selling ice cream she sold even more! She made another picture graph, but this time she had each
represent 3 ice cream cones sold.
An ice cream cone picture = 3 ice cream cones sold.
A picture graph shows the horizontal axis labeled Flavors and the vertical axis labeled Ice cream cones sold on day 2. Each ice cream cone flavor is listed along the horizontal axis from left to right as follows: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, and Peach. The number of ice cream cones sold on day 2 is represented by the number of pictures of ice cream cones plotted on the graph. Vanilla is represented by 3 pictures of ice cream cones, Chocolate is represented by 4 pictures of ice cream cones, Strawberry is represented by 6 pictures of ice cream cones, and Peach is represented by 2 pictures of ice cream cones.
Use the new picture graph to answer the following questions.
Practice Problem 2A
How many ice creams sold does 1
symbol equal?
Choose 1 answer:

Practice Problem 2B
How many strawberry ice creams did Jessie sell on her second day?
Choose 1 answer:

Now, let's create a picture graph!

The pictures below show the favorite snack of 20 different pigs.
20 snacks in 5 rows. In the first row, there is an apple and 3 bananas. In the second row, there is a banana, a piece of cheese, and 2 apples. In the third row, there is an apple, 2 cookies, and a banana. In the fourth row, there are 3 pieces of cheese and an apple. In the fifth row, there are 3 apples and a banana.
Practice Problem 3A
Complete the table to show how many pigs picked each snack as their favorite.
SnackNumber of pigs
Apples
  • Your answer should be
  • an integer, like 6
  • a simplified proper fraction, like 3/5
  • a simplified improper fraction, like 7/4
  • a mixed number, like 1 3/4
  • an exact decimal, like 0.75
  • a multiple of pi, like 12 pi or 2/3 pi
Bananas
  • Your answer should be
  • an integer, like 6
  • a simplified proper fraction, like 3/5
  • a simplified improper fraction, like 7/4
  • a mixed number, like 1 3/4
  • an exact decimal, like 0.75
  • a multiple of pi, like 12 pi or 2/3 pi
Cheese
  • Your answer should be
  • an integer, like 6
  • a simplified proper fraction, like 3/5
  • a simplified improper fraction, like 7/4
  • a mixed number, like 1 3/4
  • an exact decimal, like 0.75
  • a multiple of pi, like 12 pi or 2/3 pi
Cookies
  • Your answer should be
  • an integer, like 6
  • a simplified proper fraction, like 3/5
  • a simplified improper fraction, like 7/4
  • a mixed number, like 1 3/4
  • an exact decimal, like 0.75
  • a multiple of pi, like 12 pi or 2/3 pi

When we create picture graphs, we can decide what we want our picture to represent and even what we want our picture to be.
For this picture graph, let's use
for our symbol.
Let
=2 pigs.
Practice Problem 3B
Complete the table to show how many pigs are needed to represent each number of snacks.
SnacksNumber of PigsNumber of
symbols needed
Apples8
  • Your answer should be
  • an integer, like 6
  • a simplified proper fraction, like 3/5
  • a simplified improper fraction, like 7/4
  • a mixed number, like 1 3/4
  • an exact decimal, like 0.75
  • a multiple of pi, like 12 pi or 2/3 pi
Bananas6
  • Your answer should be
  • an integer, like 6
  • a simplified proper fraction, like 3/5
  • a simplified improper fraction, like 7/4
  • a mixed number, like 1 3/4
  • an exact decimal, like 0.75
  • a multiple of pi, like 12 pi or 2/3 pi
Cheese4
  • Your answer should be
  • an integer, like 6
  • a simplified proper fraction, like 3/5
  • a simplified improper fraction, like 7/4
  • a mixed number, like 1 3/4
  • an exact decimal, like 0.75
  • a multiple of pi, like 12 pi or 2/3 pi
Cookies2
  • Your answer should be
  • an integer, like 6
  • a simplified proper fraction, like 3/5
  • a simplified improper fraction, like 7/4
  • a mixed number, like 1 3/4
  • an exact decimal, like 0.75
  • a multiple of pi, like 12 pi or 2/3 pi

Now let's use the data to create a picture graph.
Practice Problem 3C
Click above each category to show the correct number of pigs to represent each snack.

Let's create another picture graph.

Grady likes to watch raccoons play in his grandmother's yard.
DayNumber of raccoons
Monday4
Tuesday2
Wednesday8
Thursday2
Friday6
A picture of a raccoon equals 2 raccoons.
Practice Problem 4
Create a picture graph to show the number of raccoons Grady saw in his grandmother's yard each day.

Let's use a picture graph to complete a table.

Mason keeps track of the number of eggs he collects from his chickens every day. He made a picture graph to show how many eggs he had collected from each chicken after one month.
A picture of an egg equals 4 eggs.
A picture graph shows the horizontal axis labeled Name of chicken and the vertical axis labeled Number of eggs. Each chicken name is listed along the horizontal axis from left to right as follows: Daisy, Betsy, Cluck, and Stella. The number of eggs for each chicken is represented by the number of pictures of eggs plotted on the graph. Daisy is represented by 2 pictures of eggs, Betsy s represented by 4 pictures of eggs, Cluck is represented by 1 picture of egg, and Stella is represented by 2 pictures of eggs.
Practice Problem 5
Complete the table using the picture graph shown above.
ChickenNumber of eggs collected
Daisy
  • Your answer should be
  • an integer, like 6
  • a simplified proper fraction, like 3/5
  • a simplified improper fraction, like 7/4
  • a mixed number, like 1 3/4
  • an exact decimal, like 0.75
  • a multiple of pi, like 12 pi or 2/3 pi
Betsy
  • Your answer should be
  • an integer, like 6
  • a simplified proper fraction, like 3/5
  • a simplified improper fraction, like 7/4
  • a mixed number, like 1 3/4
  • an exact decimal, like 0.75
  • a multiple of pi, like 12 pi or 2/3 pi
Cluck
  • Your answer should be
  • an integer, like 6
  • a simplified proper fraction, like 3/5
  • a simplified improper fraction, like 7/4
  • a mixed number, like 1 3/4
  • an exact decimal, like 0.75
  • a multiple of pi, like 12 pi or 2/3 pi
Stella
  • Your answer should be
  • an integer, like 6
  • a simplified proper fraction, like 3/5
  • a simplified improper fraction, like 7/4
  • a mixed number, like 1 3/4
  • an exact decimal, like 0.75
  • a multiple of pi, like 12 pi or 2/3 pi

Now, let's figure out how much the symbol represents.

Sammie the squirrel and her friends love eating acorns! They created a table and picture graph to show how many acorns they ate last week.
They forgot to say how many acorns each
symbol is equal to.
SquirrelNumber of acorns eaten
Sammie42
Chip24
Bushy48
Rusty30
A picture of an acorn equals question mark acorns.
A picture graph shows the horizontal axis labeled Name of squirrel and the vertical axis labeled Number of acorns eaten. Each squirrel name is listed along the horizontal axis from left to right as follows: Sammie, Chip, Bushy, and Rusty. The number of acorns eaten by each squirrel is represented by the number of pictures of acorns plotted on the graph. Sammie is represented by 7 pictures of acorns, Chip is represented by 4 pictures of acorns, Bushy is represented by 8 pictures of acorns, and Rusty is represented by 5 pictures of acorns.
Practice Problem 6
On the picture graph, each
equals how many acorns eaten?
  • Your answer should be
  • an integer, like 6
  • a simplified proper fraction, like 3/5
  • a simplified improper fraction, like 7/4
  • a mixed number, like 1 3/4
  • an exact decimal, like 0.75
  • a multiple of pi, like 12 pi or 2/3 pi
acorns

Want to join the conversation?

  • duskpin ultimate style avatar for user ewaobinrin
    What is the difference between a bar graph and a bar chart?
    (34 votes)
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    • male robot hal style avatar for user Saifur_Rahman_Mamun🏴‍☠️
      A bar graph and a bar chart are essentially the same thing. Both types of graphs use bars to represent different data values, making it easy to compare those values and see how they relate to each other. The main difference between a bar graph and a bar chart is that a bar chart is typically used to display data over time, while a bar graph is used to display data at a particular point in time. For example, a bar chart might be used to show the monthly sales of a company over the course of a year, while a bar graph might be used to show the sales of the company's different products on a particular day. So, the main difference between a bar graph and a bar chart is the time period that they are used to represent.
      (15 votes)
  • blobby green style avatar for user 30aubreyholdcraft
    Can you get the same information from a bar graph amd a picture graph?
    (12 votes)
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    • male robot hal style avatar for user Saifur_Rahman_Mamun🏴‍☠️
      It is possible to get the same information from a bar graph and a picture graph, but the way that the information is presented will be different. A bar graph uses bars of different lengths to represent different data values, making it easy to compare those values and see how they relate to each other. A picture graph, on the other hand, uses pictures or symbols to represent different data values. For example, a picture graph might use different types of fruit to represent the different categories of data, with each fruit representing a different category. While both a bar graph and a picture graph can be used to display the same information, the way that the information is presented will be different. Some people may find one type of graph easier to understand and interpret than the other.
      (15 votes)
  • blobby green style avatar for user 29chpatterson
    when can I use a picture graph in real life.
    (12 votes)
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    • male robot hal style avatar for user Saifur_Rahman_Mamun🏴‍☠️
      Picture and bar graphs are both commonly used to display data in a visual format. These types of graphs can be useful in a wide range of real-life situations, including:

      Surveys: Picture and bar graphs can be used to display the results of surveys, showing the responses of different people to different questions. For example, a survey about favorite types of music might be represented with a picture graph showing the number of people who like each type of music.

      Sales data: Businesses often use picture and bar graphs to display data about their sales, showing how much they have sold over a given period of time or how their sales compare to those of their competitors.

      Financial data: Picture and bar graphs are commonly used to display financial data, such as the performance of a company's stock over time or the distribution of a person's assets across different investment types.

      Environmental data: Picture and bar graphs can be used to display environmental data, such as the amount of rainfall in a particular region over a given period of time or the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by different industries.

      Overall, picture and bar graphs can be useful for quickly and easily displaying and comparing data in a variety of contexts.
      (8 votes)
  • blobby green style avatar for user nithin9484
    why in the world are thare so many qhustions
    (8 votes)
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  • starky sapling style avatar for user luis3323
    how many acorns did chip need to have more than bushy
    (10 votes)
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  • blobby green style avatar for user 2718741953
    What is the difference between a tally chart and picture graph?
    (8 votes)
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    • male robot hal style avatar for user Saifur_Rahman_Mamun🏴‍☠️
      A tally chart and a picture graph are two different ways of representing data. A tally chart is a type of chart that uses tally marks to represent the frequency of different events or observations. For example, a tally chart might be used to count the number of times a particular word appears in a text, or the number of people who prefer different types of music. In contrast, a picture graph uses pictures or symbols to represent different data values. For example, a picture graph might use different types of fruit to represent the different categories of data, with each fruit representing a different category. So, the main difference between a tally chart and a picture graph is the way that the data is represented. A tally chart uses tally marks to represent the frequency of different events, while a picture graph uses pictures or symbols to represent different data values.
      (7 votes)
  • aqualine seed style avatar for user hunter
    why is there so many types of graphs?
    (5 votes)
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    • male robot hal style avatar for user Saifur_Rahman_Mamun🏴‍☠️
      There are many types of graphs because different types of graphs are better suited to different kinds of data and different types of information that we want to convey. For example, a bar graph is a good choice for comparing the values of different variables, while a line graph is a good choice for showing how a variable changes over time. Different types of graphs also have different advantages and disadvantages, so it's important to choose the right type of graph for the information that you want to convey.
      (6 votes)
  • blobby green style avatar for user m.pugel290
    What is the difference between a bar graph and a picture graph
    (6 votes)
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  • aqualine sapling style avatar for user 1037470
    this was very hard.I am in 3 grade
    (7 votes)
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  • aqualine sapling style avatar for user eliza.sohail
    this is so easy love it
    (5 votes)
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