convey information succinctly by creating charts and graphs

/in /by

convey information succinctly by creating charts and graphs

For this Project, you will learn an extremely valuable skill: how to convey information succinctly by creating charts and graphs. You will find that the right chart can tell a story more effectively than can words alone.

Directions

We know that there are many credit cards in circulation—but which ones are the most popular? Are their numbers going up or down? Using the statistics below, create three charts or graphs that show:

  1. The relative numbers of all five types of cards in 2011
  2. The relative percentages of all five types of cards in 2011
  3. The change in percentage of debit cards versus credit cards in 2010 and in 2011. These should be expressed on the same graph.

Choose the type of chart or graph (either a pie chart, bar graph or double bar graph) that is best suited for the information you are trying to convey. For each chart, explain in three to four sentences what information the chart or graph shows.

United States Credit/Debit Card Statistics

  • Card Numbers
    • American Express credit cards: 50.6 million in 2011 – up from 48.9 million in 2010
    • MasterCard credit cards: 176 million in 2011 – up from 143 million in 2010
    • MasterCard debit cards: 129 million in 2011 – up from 119 million in 2010
    • Visa credit cards: 261 million in 2011 – down from 269 million in 2010
    • Visa debit cards: 392 million in 2011 – down from 399 million in 2010
  • Card Percentages
    • Credit cards: 48.3% of all cards in 2011 – up from 47.1% in 2010
    • Debit cards: 51.7% of all cards in 2011 – down from 52.9% in 2010