Picture Graphs Examples in Math

Start with the recap, study the fully worked examples, then use the practice problems to check your understanding of Picture Graphs.

This page combines explanation, solved examples, and follow-up practice so you can move from recognition to confident problem-solving in Math.

Concept Recap

A way of displaying data using pictures or icons, where each picture represents one unit (or a set number of units), and the total for each category is found by counting or multiplying the number of pictures by the scale value.

Imagine voting for your favorite fruit by placing a sticker in a column. When you're done, the column with the most stickers is the winner—you can see the answer at a glance.

Read the full concept explanation →

How to Use These Examples

  • Read the first worked example with the solution open so the structure is clear.
  • Try the practice problems before revealing each solution.
  • Use the related concepts and background knowledge badges if you feel stuck.

What to Focus On

Core idea: A picture graph shows data with icons, where the key tells how many units each picture is worth, and a category's total is its picture count times the key value.

Common stuck point: The procedure for picture graphs is the easy part; the trap is ignoring the key and counting icons as 1. Asking "Are categories shown as icons with a key telling each icon's value?" first is what keeps a correct-looking calculation from being attached to the wrong concept.

Sense of Study hint: Ask: Are categories shown as icons with a key telling each icon's value?

Worked Examples

Example 1

easy
A picture graph shows: Cats = 🐱🐱🐱 (3 symbols), Dogs = 🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶 (5 symbols). Each symbol = 1 animal. How many more dogs than cats are there?

Answer

2 more dogs

First step

1
Read the graph: Cats = 3, Dogs = 5.

Full solution

  1. 2
    Find the difference: 5−3=25 - 3 = 2.
  2. 3
    There are 2 more dogs than cats.
In a picture graph, count the symbols for each category, then subtract to compare.

Example 2

medium
A picture graph shows favorite fruits. Apple = 4 symbols, Banana = 6 symbols, Orange = 3 symbols. Each symbol = 2 students. How many students chose banana?

Example 3

easy
A picture graph shows fish in the tank: 4 fish pictures. How many fish?

Example 4

easy
A picture graph shows dogs: 1 dog picture. How many dogs?

Example 5

medium
A picture graph shows balloons: 2 balloon pictures. How many balloons?

Example 6

easy
A picture graph shows toys. Cars: 5 pictures. Blocks: 8 pictures. Each picture is 1 toy. Which has more, and how many of that toy?

Example 7

easy
A picture graph shows colors picked. Red: 4 pictures. Blue: 7 pictures. Each picture is 1 vote. Which color has fewer votes?

Example 8

medium
A picture graph shows lunches. Pizza: 7 pictures. Salad: 7 pictures. Each picture is 1 student. Which lunch was picked more?

Example 9

easy
A picture graph shows pets. Dogs: 7 pictures. Cats: 9 pictures. Key: each picture =1= 1 pet. How many pets are there in total?

Example 10

easy
A picture graph shows snacks sold. Pretzels: 10 pictures. Chips: 7 pictures. Cookies: 3 pictures. Key: each picture =1= 1 snack. Which snack sold the most, and how many were sold?

Example 11

hard
A picture graph shows books donated this week. Mon: 4 pictures. Tue: 7 pictures. Wed: 9 pictures. Key: each picture =1= 1 book. How many more books were donated on Wednesday than on Monday and Tuesday combined?

Example 12

easy
A picture graph shows books read. Class A: 6 pictures. Class B: 3 pictures. Key: each picture =2= 2 books. How many more books did Class A read than Class B?

Example 13

easy
A picture graph shows pencils donated. Mon: 5 pictures. Tue: 7 pictures. Key: each picture =2= 2 pencils. How many pencils were donated over the two days?

Example 14

hard
A picture graph shows books sold. Mon: 7 pictures. Tue: 4 pictures. Wed: 9 pictures. Key: each picture =2= 2 books. The store's three-day goal is 50 books. Did the store meet the goal, and by how many books over or under?

Practice Problems

Try these problems on your own first, then open the solution to compare your method.

Example 1

easy
A picture graph shows books read: Ann = ★★★★ (4), Bob = ★★ (2). Each ★ = 1 book. How many books did they read in total?

Example 2

medium
A picture graph shows: Red = 5 symbols, Blue = 3 symbols, Green = 4 symbols. Each symbol = 2 votes. Which color got the most votes, and how many?

Example 3

easy
A picture graph shows apples: 4 apple icons, where each icon = 1 apple. How many apples?

Example 4

easy
A picture graph of pets shows 3 dog icons and 5 cat icons, each icon = 1 pet. How many cats?

Example 5

easy
In a picture graph, each star = 1 vote. Pizza has 6 stars. How many votes for pizza?

Example 6

easy
A graph shows fruit sold: bananas 7 icons, grapes 2 icons, each = 1 fruit. Which sold more?

Example 7

easy
Each smiley = 1 student. Reading shows 8 smileys for 'likes math'. How many students like math?

Example 8

easy
A picture graph uses a key: each book icon = 2 books. There are 3 book icons. How many books?

Example 9

easy
Each flower icon = 1 flower. The graph shows 5 roses and 5 tulips. How many flowers total?

Example 10

easy
Each apple icon = 1 apple. Row A has 9 apples, row B has 4. How many more apples in row A?

Example 11

medium
A picture graph uses each icon = 5 cars. The parking row shows 4 icons. How many cars?

Example 12

medium
Each icon = 10 books. The library graph shows 3 full icons and 1 half icon. How many books?

Example 13

medium
Each star = 2 votes. Movie A has 6 stars, Movie B has 4 stars. How many more votes did A get?

Example 14

medium
Each icon = 4 fish. A tank graph shows 5 icons. Another tank shows 20 fish. Which tank has more?

Example 15

medium
Each icon = 3 apples. The orchard graph shows rows of 2, 4, and 3 icons. How many apples total?

Example 16

medium
Each icon = 2 cups. A graph shows juice with 7 icons. How many cups, and is that more than 12 cups?

Example 17

medium
Each icon = 5 points. A team's graph shows 4 icons in game 1 and 6 icons in game 2. How many total points?

Example 18

challenge
Each icon = 4 books. The graph shows reading totals; the total is 48 books shown as full icons. How many icons are drawn?

Example 19

challenge
Each icon = 6 stickers. Maya has 3 full icons and Sam has 30 stickers. How many more stickers does Sam have?

Example 20

challenge
Each icon = 5 cans. A food drive graph shows 8 full icons and the goal is 50 cans. How many more cans are needed to reach the goal?

Example 21

medium
Each icon = 3 cookies. A graph shows 6 icons. How many cookies?

Example 22

medium
Each icon = 2 hats. Red has 5 icons, blue has 3 icons. How many hats in total?

Example 23

easy
A picture graph shows cats: 3 cat pictures in a row. Count the cat pictures. How many cats?

Example 24

easy
A picture graph shows apples: 2 apple pictures. How many apples?

Example 25

easy
A picture graph shows stars: 5 star pictures in a row. How many stars?

Example 26

medium
A picture graph shows birds: 3 bird pictures. How many birds?

Example 27

hard
A picture graph shows ducks: 4 duck pictures in a row. How many ducks?

Example 28

easy
A picture graph shows pets in class. Cats: 6 cat pictures. Dogs: 4 dog pictures. Each picture is 1 pet. How many cats?

Example 29

easy
A picture graph shows fruits. Apples: 7 pictures. Bananas: 3 pictures. Each picture is 1 fruit. Which has more?

Example 30

easy
A picture graph shows snacks. Crackers: 9 pictures. Cookies: 6 pictures. Each picture is 1 snack. How many cookies?

Example 31

medium
A picture graph shows favorite ice cream. Vanilla: 5 pictures. Chocolate: 8 pictures. Each picture is 1 kid. How many more kids chose chocolate than vanilla?

Example 32

medium
A picture graph shows class pets. Fish: 10 pictures. Hamsters: 3 pictures. Each picture is 1 pet. Which pet has the most?

Example 33

easy
A picture graph shows fruit eaten this week. Apples: 6 pictures. Pears: 4 pictures. Key: each picture =1= 1 fruit. How many apples were eaten?

Example 34

easy
A picture graph shows books read. Mia: 8 pictures. Jay: 5 pictures. Key: each picture =1= 1 book. How many books did Jay read?

Example 35

easy
A picture graph shows favorite drinks. Juice: 12 pictures. Milk: 8 pictures. Key: each picture =1= 1 vote. How many more votes did juice get than milk?

Example 36

medium
A picture graph shows shells found. Lia: 9 pictures. Sam: 6 pictures. Key: each picture =1= 1 shell. How many shells did they find together?

Example 37

medium
A picture graph shows favorite seasons. Spring: 5 pictures. Summer: 8 pictures. Fall: 4 pictures. Winter: 3 pictures. Key: each picture =1= 1 vote. How many votes are on the graph in total?

Example 38

easy
A picture graph shows cars in the lot. Red: 4 pictures. Blue: 6 pictures. Key: each picture =2= 2 cars. How many red cars are in the lot?

Example 39

easy
A picture graph shows tickets sold. Friday: 7 pictures. Saturday: 9 pictures. Key: each picture =5= 5 tickets. How many tickets were sold on Friday?

Example 40

easy
A picture graph shows cans collected. Room 1: 4 pictures. Room 2: 8 pictures. Key: each picture =5= 5 cans. How many cans did Room 2 collect?

Example 41

medium
A picture graph shows minutes of recess. Mon: 6 pictures. Tue: 9 pictures. Wed: 4 pictures. Key: each picture =5= 5 minutes. How many minutes of recess were there in total over the three days?

Example 42

medium
A picture graph shows raffle tickets sold. Class A: 9 pictures. Class B: 6 pictures. Class C: 7 pictures. Key: each picture =5= 5 tickets. Which class sold the most tickets, and how many did they sell?
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Related Concepts

CountingBar Graphs

Background Knowledge

These ideas may be useful before you work through the harder examples.

counting