To determine the best type of graph to display Ja'ron's data, let's analyze the given information. Ja'ron collected data on the number of students participating in various after-school programs as follows:
[tex]\[
\begin{array}{|c|c|}
\hline
\text{Program} & \text{Students Participating} \\
\hline
\text{Sports} & 23 \\
\hline
\text{Art} & 25 \\
\hline
\text{Academic} & 21 \\
\hline
\text{Religious} & 18 \\
\hline
\text{Family} & 32 \\
\hline
\end{array}
\][/tex]
Let's consider each type of graph and how it could display this data:
1. Bar Graph:
- A bar graph would use bars to represent the number of students participating in each program. Each program (category) would be represented on the x-axis, and the number of participating students would be represented on the y-axis. This type of graph is ideal for comparing different categories visually.
2. Line Graph:
- A line graph would connect data points with lines. Line graphs are typically used to show trends over time, rather than comparing distinct categories. This makes a line graph less suitable for the given data.
3. Line Plot:
- A line plot, also known as a dot plot, places dots corresponding to the number of occurrences (students) for each category (program). It could be used, but it is usually better for smaller data sets or for showing frequency distributions.
4. Stem and Leaf Plot:
- A stem and leaf plot shows numerical data by separating each value into a 'stem' and a 'leaf.' This method is often used for small data sets to show frequency distribution. It is not suitable for categorical data.
Given that we are comparing the number of students across distinct categories (the different programs), a bar graph would best display Ja'ron's data. It provides a clear visual comparison of the number of students in each program.
