BRAINCAKEInterpreting Graphs 6
Mean values on a bar chart or line graph are often shown with error bars. These show the variability of the data used to calculate each mean.
The bars may show the range (highest to lowest value) or the mean plus and minus one standard deviation. Always check which is shown.
Long error bars show that the data are widely spread, so the mean is less reliable. Short error bars show that repeat readings were close together.
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Key terms in this lesson
- standard deviation
- A measure of the spread of a set of data around the mean; a small standard deviation means the values are close to the mean and a large standard deviation means they are more spread out.
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