8 Spreadsheets (3)
Resources |
Revision Questions |
Information Technology IT
Login to see all questions
Click on a question to view the answer
1.
Question 2
A company is tracking its monthly sales figures for the past year. The data is as follows:
- January: 150 units
- February: 175 units
- March: 200 units
- April: 180 units
- May: 220 units
- June: 250 units
- July: 230 units
- August: 210 units
- September: 190 units
- October: 170 units
- November: 160 units
- December: 180 units
(a) Explain why a line graph is a suitable way to represent this data.
(b) Draw a line graph to represent the company's monthly sales figures. Clearly label the axes and indicate the units.
(c) Describe a trend that can be observed from the line graph.
(a) A line graph is a suitable way to represent this data because it is used to show changes in data over a continuous period of time. In this case, the data represents monthly sales figures over a year, which is a continuous period. The line graph allows us to easily visualize the trend in sales over time and identify patterns or fluctuations.
(b)
Month | Sales (Units) |
January | 150 |
February | 175 |
March | 200 |
April | 180 |
May | 220 |
June | 250 |
July | 230 |
August | 210 |
September | 190 |
October | 170 |
November | 160 |
December | 180 |
The horizontal axis (x-axis) would represent the months of the year. The vertical axis (y-axis) would represent the sales in units, with a suitable scale (e.g., 0 to 260, increments of 10).
Each month would be plotted on the graph according to its corresponding sales figure, and the points would be connected with a line.
(c) A clear upward trend can be observed in the sales figures from January to June, indicating growth in sales during the first half of the year. Sales then decline in the latter half of the year, reaching a low point in November before increasing again in December.
2.
A business needs to track sales data for its various product lines. You are tasked with creating a spreadsheet structure in Microsoft Excel to efficiently store and analyse this information. Describe the key elements of a well-designed spreadsheet structure, including considerations for page setup and header design. Explain how these elements contribute to data clarity and ease of analysis.
A well-designed spreadsheet structure for sales data should incorporate the following key elements:
- Page Setup: This involves configuring the page margins, orientation (portrait or landscape), and paper size to ensure the entire spreadsheet is visible and readable. Setting appropriate margins prevents data from being cut off.
- Headers: Clear and concise headers are crucial. They should identify each column, e.g., "Product Line", "Sales Date", "Quantity Sold", "Unit Price", "Total Revenue".
- Data Validation: Implementing data validation on relevant columns (e.g., "Product Line") can ensure data consistency and prevent errors. This can be achieved using dropdown lists.
- Formatting: Using formatting (e.g., bold text for headers, number formatting for monetary values) improves readability and visual organization.
- Consistent Spacing: Maintaining consistent spacing between columns and rows enhances visual clarity.
These elements contribute to data clarity by providing a clear framework for the data. Well-defined headers allow users to quickly understand the meaning of each column. Proper page setup ensures the entire dataset is accessible. Formatting improves readability, and data validation helps maintain data integrity, making analysis more reliable and efficient.
3.
Question 1
A school is collecting data on the number of students participating in different extracurricular activities. The data is presented below:
- Drama Club: 80 students
- Debating Society: 65 students
- Sports Club: 120 students
- Music Club: 75 students
(a) Describe a suitable type of graph to represent this data and explain why you have chosen this type.
(b) Draw the graph you have described, clearly labelling the axes and indicating the units.
(c) Interpret the graph to identify the most popular extracurricular activity and the number of students participating.
(a) A bar chart is a suitable type of graph to represent this data. A bar chart is effective for comparing categorical data as the height of each bar directly corresponds to the value, making it easy to visually compare the quantities of different activities. It clearly shows the relative sizes of each group.
(b)
Number of Students | Extracurricular Activity |
120 | Sports Club |
80 | Drama Club |
75 | Music Club |
65 | Debating Society |
The horizontal axis (x-axis) would represent the extracurricular activities (Drama Club, Debating Society, Sports Club, Music Club). The vertical axis (y-axis) would represent the number of students, with a suitable scale (e.g., 0 to 130, increments of 10).
Each activity would be represented by a bar with a height corresponding to the number of students participating.
(c) The bar chart clearly shows that the Sports Club is the most popular extracurricular activity, with 120 students participating. This is the highest number of students compared to the other activities.