Data and Graph Explorer
Build bar, line, pie and pictograph charts from editable data, and see how the mean, median, mode and range change when values change.
Before you try
What if one friend is 2 metres tall? How much does that change the class average?
Try it out
Interactive activity
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Use a Google account (yours or a parent’s) to unlock this simulator. We store only your name and email so your favourites and progress follow you.
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What happened?
Move a control to see what changes and why.
The numbers are whatever you type, with nothing missing or mistyped. Real data sets usually have gaps and errors that shift the averages.
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Try these ideas
- Make one value very large. Which moves more, the mean or the median?
- Switch the same data between a bar chart and a pie chart. Which is easier to read?
- Make all the values equal. What happens to the range?
Why it works
Graphs turn lists of numbers into pictures you can read at a glance. Bar charts compare groups, line graphs show change over time, pie charts show parts of a whole, and pictographs use symbols to count.
Pick a dataset, edit the values with sliders and switch chart types. The statistics panel recalculates the mean (average), median (middle), mode (most common) and range (biggest − smallest) instantly.
Check your understanding
Question 1 of 3
Which graph is best for showing how temperature changes during a week?
For the data 3, 5, 5, 8, 9 the mode is…
For the data 3, 5, 5, 8, 9 the median is…
Explain it in your own words
What changed? Why did it happen? Where might you notice this in everyday life?
For parents & teachers
- Survey the family’s favourite fruit and build a bar chart together.
- Ask: when can an average be misleading?
- Find a graph in the news and decide whether it is the right type.