Question 1: Explain the difference between a bar chart and a pie chart. Include one advantage of each type in presenting geographic data.

Answer: A bar chart uses rectangular bars to compare quantities across categories, making differences easy to see; an advantage is clarity in comparison. A pie chart displays proportions of a whole, which helps to see percentage shares; its advantage is showing parts of a total at a glance.

Question 2: You are given data showing the population growth of a city over five years: 2019 - 50,000; 2020 - 52,000; 2021 - 55,000; 2022 - 58,000; 2023 - 60,000. Describe how you would present this data visually using a line graph.

Answer: Plot the years 2019 to 2023 on the x-axis and the population on the y-axis. Mark the data points for each year at the corresponding population figure and draw a line connecting these points to show the trend of growth over time.

Question 3: Draw a simple bar chart that shows the following data: Forested area in three countries—Country A: 300 sq km, Country B: 450 sq km, Country C: 600 sq km. Leave space for labels and axes.

Answer: A bar chart with three bars, each representing a country. The height of each bar corresponds to the area in sq km, with Country A's bar shortest, followed by B, then C. Axes should be labeled appropriately, with units in sq km.

Question 4: A scatter plot shows the relationship between rainfall (mm) and crop yield (kg per hectare) in different regions. Explain how you would identify if there is a correlation between these two variables.

Answer: Look at the pattern of points on the scatter plot. If the points tend to rise together (as rainfall increases, crop yield increases), there is a positive correlation. If they tend to fall together, there is a negative correlation. If the points are scattered randomly, there is no correlation.

Question 5: Describe how a table can be used to compare the population sizes of five different cities. What are the key features to include in this table?

Answer: A table can list each city in one column and their population numbers in an adjacent column. Key features include clear headings, consistent units, and organized rows for easy comparison of population sizes.

Question 6: Sketch a simple climate graph for a location with the following data: average temperature in °C per month—January: 5, February: 6, March: 9, April: 12, May: 15, June: 18, July: 20, August: 19, September: 16, October: 12, November: 8, December: 6. Use a line for temperature and a bar for rainfall (assume rainfall is constant at 50mm per month). Leave space for axes, labels, and a legend.

Answer: A climate graph with a line chart plotting temperature values for each month, peaking around July and August. Bars representing rainfall should be uniform at 50mm across all months. Axes should be labeled for months, temperature, and rainfall. Include a legend differentiating the line and bars.

Question 7: Explain what a proportional symbol map is and give an example of how it could be used in a geographic study.

Answer: A proportional symbol map uses symbols of different sizes to represent data values at specific locations on a map. For example, it could show the population of cities by varying the size of circles placed over each city, with larger circles indicating larger populations.

Question 8: A line graph shows the change in sea level over a 10-year period. What are two key features you should include on the graph to help interpret the data accurately?

Answer: Labels for the x-axis (years) and y-axis (sea level in meters), and a clear title explaining what the graph shows. Including units and a legend if multiple data series are plotted is also important.

Question 9: Describe how you would interpret a data set that shows a sudden increase in urban growth in a city over a five-year period. What types of visual data presentation might best illustrate this change?

Answer: A sudden increase could be identified in a line graph showing population or in a bar chart comparing yearly data. A map with a proportional symbol indicating growth areas or a cartogram showing expanded urban areas could also effectively illustrate the change.