In a climate graph, rainfall is usually represented by which graphical element?

• A. Line
• B. Bar
• C. Pie slice
• D. Scatter point

Answer: (B)

Rainfall is shown as bars because it represents amounts measured for each month. Bars let you see and compare how much rain falls from month to month at a glance, with the height indicating the rainfall total (in millimetres). In climate graphs, temperature is usually drawn as a line to show how it changes over the year, while rainfall stays as bars to emphasize discrete monthly totals. A line would suggest a smooth, continuous change in rainfall, which isn’t the best way to display monthly totals; a pie slice would only show parts of a whole for one moment, not a sequence over time; a scatter point wouldn’t clearly convey the monthly totals or allow easy month-to-month comparison.