Data Tables - Structure and Uses

By: Clint Jhonson

There is an enormous amount of information found everywhere, especially the internet. Any topic can be found fully debated. The only question remains what is your particular interest, and you will find the information you need. Considering the amount of information, can you assimilate it all?

Ever since school was first developed and the first lesson was taught, there have been many ways to summarize information. One of these ways consists of developing data tables so your search will be easier. You may ask yourself why.

First of all, data tables are very useful in terms of visual communication. If you would have a continuous text, you would be force to read the beginning of the text until you reach your desired information. Due to their structure, data tables solve this problem, because every piece of information you need is separated from the others, so it makes it easier to read.

Another important characteristic is arranging the data. Apart from the separation of irrelevant information from the needed parts, everything is organized. When something is required for your study, you simply search the desired category and it takes a few seconds before you find it.

Data tables are common in our every day lives. They can be found on the street, in traffic signs, in the ornamentation of architectural structures, not to mention data research and analysis. Printed media and handwritten notes often use tables because it makes it easier to memorize.

There are also many differences between tables. The structure of a data table is the first thing that separates them. Other things include variety, use, representation, flexibility and more. No matter the differences, there are some aspects that are present in every data table.

What defines a table is its structure. Considering the differences presented above, some things are present in each table and these are: rows and columns. These are always present, because if they wouldn't be, the representation will be just a drawing and not a table. Rows are the lines of information found horizontally, while the columns are the ones on the vertical.

There are also various types of data tables. Some are simple and others multidimensional. The simple ones gather data and represent it exactly like that, while multidimensional tables involve operations between the values found in the rows and columns. A simple example of a multidimensional table would be multiplication. The values in a box corresponds to the multiplication of the number in the first row and the one in the first column.

An important use for tables is for creating graphs. Graphs are often used for representing the data when it comes in large quantities, because it is even easier to read. The usual structure of a graph consists of two axes with values on each. One axe corresponds to the rows of the table, while the other to the columns.

Graphs are widely used in sciences all over the world as an important part of statistics. Even if some people are able to read data from a table easily, graphs are used to make it accessible for the rest. If you are interested in graphs concerning any subject, you can visit graphwise.com.

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