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CMA Foundation · Fundamentals of Business Laws and Business Communication · Use of Graphics and References for Business Communication

Ravi prepares a bar chart for a board presentation, but the vertical axis begins at ₹95 lakh instead of zero, so a rise from ₹98 lakh to ₹100 lakh looks like a huge jump. Which design principle has been violated?

The principle violated is honest, proportional representation. Starting the bar chart axis at ₹95 lakh instead of zero truncates it, so a small rise appears huge. Bar lengths must be proportional to values, so a zero baseline is needed to avoid misleading the audience.

  1. AUsing a title that is too short
  2. BTruncating the axis so that the visual proportions mislead the readerCorrect
  3. CShowing data labels on the bars
  4. DUsing the same colour for all bars

Explanation

Bar length should be proportional to the value, which requires a zero baseline. Starting at ₹95 lakh exaggerates a small change and misleads the audience. Data labels and consistent colour are acceptable practices and are not the problem here.

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