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Bar graph vs histogram – Difference between bar graph and histogram

What is the Difference between bar graph and histogram?

  • A bar graph is a visual presentation that compares values whereas a histogram is a more specific way of presenting facts and information.
  • The bars in a bar graph are placed separate from one another.
  • The bars of a histogram are usually placed together, each touching the other.
  • A bar graph presents the viewer with a visual presentation of discrete elements whereas a histogram presents the viewer with the frequency of non-discrete, continuous elements.

Bar graph vs histogram:

Charts and graphs help facts and information to be presented in clear and lucid forms when it comes to presentations and such matters where the information gathered need to be presented in comprehensible and concise manners. These charts not only make it easy for the audience to understand the situation clearly, they also aid them notice certain patterns and trends which would have been quite difficult to spot if the data had been presented in any other form. Bar graph and histogram are two such types of charts among many other which have made it easier for certain facts to be presented in a comprehensive manner. These two charts seem awfully similar at a first glance and yet, they do possess certain differences which in turn make them ideal candidates to present certain types of facts as opposed to others.

The difference between a bar graph and a histogram is not very easy to detect because of the apparent similarities of their physical forms. And yet, a difference that can be spotted at a first glance would be the fact that while the columns of a bar graph are set far apart, separating each bar from the other, the bars of a histogram are often placed close together, to indicate that the items presented are non-discrete, unlike the information shown in a bar graph.

A histogram is indeed a type of a bar graph and yet, it is a more specific type of a bar graph that presents values or frequencies. It represents numbers unlike that of a bar graph. A histogram is designed to present values of recorded data elements that are grouped or categorized unlike a bar graph which shows a comparison of values by helping the organization of data and information. Thus a bar graph presents the viewer with a visual presentation of discrete elements whereas a histogram presents the viewer with the frequency of non-discrete, continuous elements.

2 Comments

  1. Difference Between says:

    What is a bar graph?
    A bar graph, also referred to as a bar chart, is made up of columns plotted on a graph, intended to portray a comparison of values. Bar graphs are used frequently to organize data and in doing so, they also help recognize certain patterns in data that can only be seen once the information has been arranged in such a way. Each bar of a bar chart stands in proportion to the value it represents and the height of the column indicates the size of the group defined by the column label.

  2. Difference Between says:

    What is a histogram?
    A histogram is made up of columns plotted on a graph where a graphical display of values or frequencies is displayed. A histogram’s purpose is in presenting values of recorded data that are grouped or categorized and this data is often presented in numbers. In a histogram, height of the column indicates the size of the group defined by the column label and the column label can be a single value or a range of values. The bars on a histogram are often presented touching each other in order to show that the items shown are non-discrete.

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