SECTION 2.2 More Graphs and Displays 59 Another way to graph qualitative data is to use a Pareto chart. A Pareto chart is a vertical bar graph in which the height of each bar represents frequency or relative frequency. The bars are positioned in order of decreasing height, with the tallest bar positioned at the left. Such positioning helps highlight important data and is used frequently in business. Constructing a Pareto Chart In 2019, these were the top five causes of death in the United States. Accidents: 173,040 Cancer: 599,601 Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 156,979 Heart disease: 659,041 Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 150,005 Use a Pareto chart to organize the data. What was the leading cause of death in the United States in 2019? (Source: National Center for Health Statistics) SOLUTION Using frequencies for the vertical axis, you can construct the Pareto chart as shown. Cause Deaths (in thousands) Heart disease Cancer Chronic lower respiratory diseases Accidents Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases) 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Top Five Causes of Death in the United States Interpretation From the Pareto chart, you can see that the leading cause of death in the United States in 2019 was heart disease. Also, heart disease and cancer caused more deaths than the other three causes combined. TRY IT YOURSELF 5 Every year, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) receives complaints from customers. Here are some complaints the BBB received in 2019. 5987 complaints about roofing contractors 14,878 complaints about collections agencies 10,871 complaints about insurance companies 23,848 complaints about new car dealers 1687 complaints about Internet marketing services Use a Pareto chart to organize the data. Which of the industries listed is the greatest source of complaints? (Source: Better Business Bureau) Answer: Page A36 EXAMPLE 5 Picturing the World According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, earnings increase as educational attainment rises. The average weekly earnings data by educational attainment are shown in the Pareto chart. (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) Educational attainment Average weekly earnings (in dollars) 300 600 900 1200 1500 Average Weekly Earnings by Educational Attainment 1497 1248 887 746 592 Master’s degree High school diploma Less than a high school diploma Associate’s degree Bachelor’s degree The average employee with an associate’s degree makes how much more in a year (52 weeks) than the average employee with a high school diploma?
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