Bar Graphs and Pictographs — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
A pictograph with 7 symbols and a key of 5 shows 30 items.
Corrected: A pictograph with 7 symbols and a key of 5 shows 35 items.
Multiply the number of symbols by the key value: 7 times 5 equals 35, so the row stands for 35 items, not 30.
2. Fix the sentence:
The tallest bar on a graph always shows the least popular choice.
Corrected: The tallest bar on a graph always shows the most popular choice.
A taller bar reaches a bigger number on the scale, which means more votes or more of something — so the tallest bar always marks the most popular choice.
3. Fix the sentence:
Cats = 4 symbols, Dogs = 6 symbols (key = 2). Dogs have 2 more than Cats.
Corrected: Cats = 4 symbols, Dogs = 6 symbols (key = 2). Dogs have 4 more than Cats.
First multiply by the key — Cats are 4 times 2 = 8 and Dogs are 6 times 2 = 12 — then subtract: 12 minus 8 leaves 4 more dogs than cats.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. If each circle on a pictograph stands for 5 erasers, then 8 circles mean 40 erasers.
Multiply the symbol count by the key value: 8 circles times 5 erasers per circle gives a total of 40 erasers.
2. A bar graph shows Juice = 30 and Milk = 30. These two categories are equal.
Both bars stop at the same value of 30 on the scale, so the categories have the same amount, which means they are equal.
3. On a pictograph with a key of 4, three and a half symbols equal 14.
Three full symbols stand for 3 times 4 = 12, and the half symbol adds half of 4 = 2, so the total is 12 plus 2 = 14.
4. A bar graph shows Red = 15, Blue = 25, and Green = 10. The total is 50.
Add every bar together to find the grand total: 15 plus 25 plus 10 equals 50.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. A pictograph must always have a key that tells the value of each symbol.
True False
True — without a key, you would not know whether one picture means 1, 5, or 100, so the key is what makes the pictograph readable.
2. On a bar graph, a bar reaching 40 is shorter than a bar reaching 35.
True False
False — 40 is greater than 35, and a bar that reaches the higher number must be the taller bar, not the shorter one.
3. You can add up all the bars on a bar graph to find the grand total.
True False
True — each bar shows how many are in one category, so summing every bar combines all the categories into one grand total.