4.2 Representing data in tables clearly
Some tables contain very large numbers or very small numbers. To make these easier to read, the way they are presented may be changed. For example, suppose the number of tourists (rounded to the nearest thousand) visiting south-west Ireland in four quarterly periods were 556 000, 320 000, 284 000 and 355 000. These numbers can be expressed as 556 x 1000, 320 x 1000 and so on. Using units of 1000, the numbers in the table can be written simply as 556, 320, 284 and 355, and the column heading changed to ‘Numbers (000s)’ or ‘Numbers (thousands)’. The values then become much easier to read. This is very similar to scientific notation but presented in a different way!
Table 10 indicates the number of visitors to the different regions of Ireland in 2011 and the revenue generated.
| Numbers (000s)Revenue (€m) | Overseas tourists | Northern Ireland | Domestic | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin |
3805 1125.2 |
311 76.1 |
1683 314.6 |
5799 1515.9 |
| Midlands/east |
760 253.1 |
185 38.0 |
1183 198.5 |
2128 489.6 |
| South-east |
720 171.5 |
73 19.6 |
1293 271.3 |
2086 462.4 |
| South-west |
1678 595.9 |
70 19.6 |
1906 442.7 |
3654 1058.2 |
| Shannon |
859 256.8 |
32 8.1 |
887 169.1 |
1778 434.0 |
| West |
1180 423.6 |
103 27.7 |
1303 290.8 |
2586 742.1 |
| North-west |
505 144.7 |
530 80.7 |
739 135.2 |
1774 360.6 |
| Total revenue | 2970.8 | 269.8 | 1822.2 | 5062.8 |
Footnotes
‘Euro m’ (or ‘€m’) is an abbreviation for ‘millions of euros’, the currency used in Ireland.Activity 7 Where did the tourists go?
Use the table above to answer the following questions. Remember, ‘Euro m’ (or ‘€m’) is an abbreviation for ‘million of euros’. Don’t forget to click on reveal comment if you would like a hint.
(a) How many domestic tourists visited Shannon in 2011?
Comment
Remember to take note of the units used for numbers of visitors.
Answer
(a) Take care with the figures when you read them from the table. The number of people is given in thousands, so the number of domestic tourists who visited Shannon in 2011 was 887 000. The number in the table is 887, but the units are in thousands of visitors, making the final answer 887 000.
(b) Roughly how much did all the tourists spend in Dublin in 2011?
Answer
(b) Tourists visiting Dublin spent €1515.9 million, or about €1.52 billion.
1515.9 million = 1 515 900 000
1 billion = 1 000 000 000
So 1515.9 million = 1.52 billion (to 2 d.p.)
(c) In which regions were there more domestic tourists than overseas tourists?
Answer
(c) Comparing the columns for the overseas tourists and the domestic tourists shows that there were more domestic tourists than overseas tourists in all the regions except Dublin.
So, now you’ve had some practice at taking information from a data, it is time to think about constructing your own tables.