Pictographs
A pictograph uses picture symbols to show data. One picture stands for a fixed number of items , say one apple symbol means 5 apples. The number of pictures shows the size of the count.
What is this?
To draw a pictograph:
- Choose a symbol that fits the data , an apple for apples, a star for marks, a smiley for people.
- Decide what one symbol stands for (e.g., 1 symbol = 5 votes). This is the scale of the pictograph.
- Draw rows or columns. For each category, draw the right number of symbols.
For example, here is a pictograph of fruits sold in a shop on Monday. Let 1 🍎 = 10 fruits.
| Fruit | Symbols |
|---|---|
| Apple | 🍎🍎🍎🍎 |
| Mango | 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎 |
| Banana | 🍎🍎🍎 |
| Orange | 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎 |
Each row's count = number of symbols × 10. So apples sold = 4 × 10 = 40. Mangoes = 6 × 10 = 60.
If a number is not a perfect multiple of the scale, we draw a half-symbol. For example, if 35 apples are sold (with scale 1 symbol = 10), we draw 3 full symbols and half.
Pictographs are friendly because they tell a story at a glance. You don't need to read numbers , you just see which category has more symbols.
Worked examples
Example 1. A pictograph shows: Roses 5 🌹, Lilies 3 🌹, Sunflowers 4 🌹, with 1 🌹 = 4 flowers. How many of each?
- Roses: 5 × 4 = 20.
- Lilies: 3 × 4 = 12.
- Sunflowers: 4 × 4 = 16.
Example 2. Cricket runs by 4 players: Ramesh 40, Suresh 30, Maya 50, Anu 20. Make a pictograph with 1 ⚾ = 10 runs.
- Ramesh: ⚾⚾⚾⚾.
- Suresh: ⚾⚾⚾.
- Maya: ⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾.
- Anu: ⚾⚾.
Example 3. From a pictograph: 1 🐄 = 5 cows. A farm has 8 🐄. How many cows?
- 8 × 5 = 40 cows.
Try it
- Draw a pictograph for: Cats 6, Dogs 4, Birds 10. Use 1 symbol = 2 animals.
- Sales of 5 days: Mon 25, Tue 30, Wed 20, Thu 35, Fri 40. Use 1 symbol = 5 sales. Draw the pictograph.
- A pictograph shows 9 🌟 for student A. 1 🌟 = 3 marks. How many marks?
- Which category gets shown by the most symbols if scale is 1 = 4 and counts are 12, 16, 24, 8?
- Find a pictograph in a newspaper or book. What is its scale?
Hands-on
Family pictograph. Ask family members how many hours they sleep. Draw a pictograph with 1 symbol = 2 hours. Whose row is longest?
Reading-time chart. For one week, note how many minutes you read each day. Make a pictograph with 1 symbol = 5 minutes. Compare days at a glance.