Practice Scale Distortion in Math
Use these practice problems to test your method after reviewing the concept explanation and worked examples.
Quick Recap
Scale distortion occurs when a graph's axis does not start at zero or uses inconsistent intervals, making small differences appear large or large differences appear small.
Zoom in on tiny differences to make them look huge, or zoom out to hide them.
Example 1
easyTwo graphs show the same data (unemployment: 4% to 5%). Graph A: y-axis from 0–10%. Graph B: y-axis from 3.5%–5.5%. Describe what each graph communicates visually and which is more honest.
Example 2
mediumA graph uses a logarithmic scale for a dataset ranging from 1 to 1,000,000. Explain when a log scale is appropriate vs. misleading, and how to label it correctly.
Example 3
easyA pictograph shows a 2021 salary twice as large as a 2020 salary by doubling both the height AND width of a dollar bill icon. If the actual increase was 2×, by what factor does the icon area increase?
Example 4
hardA company's revenue chart has an x-axis with uneven time intervals (2010, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018). The line shows constant growth. Explain how uneven spacing creates scale distortion.