Bubble chart
A bubble chart is a type of chart where each plotted entity is defined in terms of three distinct numeric parameters.[1] Bubble charts can facilitate the understanding of the social, economical, medical, and other scientific relationships.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The entities displayed on a bubble chart can be compared in terms of their size as well as their relative positions with respect to each numeric axis. Since both X and Y axis of the bubble chart are numeric scales, the position of plot is an indicator of two distinct numeric values. The area of the plot depends on the magnitude of a third numeric characteristic.[1] One concern when rendering data with a bubble chart is that the area of a circle is proportional to the square of the radius. So if you scale the radius with your third data point, you will disproportionally emphasize the third factor. To get a properly weighted scale, one should take the square root of the magnitude of this third metric. However, many bubble charts are rendered without this correction.
A bubble chart can be considered a "variation of a scatter plot, in which the data points are replaced with bubbles. This type of chart can be used instead of a Scatter chart if your data has three data series, each of which contains a set of values".[2]
Bubble charts, according to Berman (2007), can "be used in project management to compare the risk and reward among projects. In a chart each project can be respresented by a bubble,the axis can represent the net present value and probability of success and the size of the bubble can represent the overall cost of the project".[3]
In architecture a first architectural sketch of the lay out constructed with bubbles is also named a "bubble chart".[4]
In software engineering a bubble chart is defined as a data flow, a data structure or other diagram in which entires are depicted with circles or bubbles and relationships are represented by links drawn between the circles.
[edit] Example
Bubble chart of the Chicago Deposit market 2003[5] in compare to other cities, which was highly fragmented and is not dominated by a small group of financial institutions, as is the case in many other markets.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Second base with charts: Understanding the Bubble chart (2009). FusionCharts Blog
- ^ Creating a Bubble chart Microsoft Office Online. Accessed 25 Feb 2009.
- ^ Jeff Berman (2007). Maximizing project value: defining, managing, and measuring for optimal return. AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn, 2007. ISBN 0814473822. p.63-64..
- ^ Bryan Lawson (2004). What Designers Know. Elsevier, 2004. ISBN 0750664487. p.44.
- ^ Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (2003). http://www.fdic.gov/bank/analytical/regional/ro20034q/na/t4q2003.pdf FDIC Outlook]. Winter 2003.
[edit] External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bubble charts |
- Creating a Bubble chart Microsoft Office Online
- Scatter & Bubble chart example at amcharts.com
- The FusionCharts Blog
- Google's Motion Chart
