What Does comparative chart Mean
A table can be a graph that specifies the links between different data. Comparative , on the other hand, is what allows a comparison to be made (the discovery of the similarities and differences between various elements based on their analysis or observation).
A comparison chart , therefore, is a graphical tool used for comparison . The items that are compared are placed in columns and then, in different rows, the data in question is mentioned.
The comparative tables are used to organize the information , facilitating the identification of similar and different characteristics in the concepts. That is why they are useful for the acquisition of knowledge and for the memorization of content.
Suppose a student must take a social studies exam that will focus on North American countries . As you study, you decide to create a comparison chart.
In the columns, put the names of the countries: MEXICO , UNITED STATES, and CANADA . Below the column for each nation , start typing different pieces of information, one per row to allow comparison:
Capital: MEXICO CITY / WASHINGTON DC / OTTAWA
Area: 1,964,375 KM2 / 9371174 KM2 / 9,984,670 KM2
system of government: FEDERAL REPUBLIC / REPUBLIC FEDERAL / MONARCHY FEDERAL PARLAMENTARA
A young woman who is planning her vacation , for her part, can develop a comparative chart to define which hotel is the most convenient for her:
LIBERTADOR HOTEL / HOTEL ARENAS DORADAS
4 STARS / 3 STARS
INCLUDES BREAKFAST / INCLUDES BREAKFAST AND DINNER
HAS POOL / NO POOL
It is important to highlight that the comparative table not only serves to contrast groups of data, but also phenomena , and that the information is only obtained once the comparison has been made. For example, in a social experiment, twenty people of all ages are given a prompt that leads to two opposing tendencies, and then the reaction of each is observed. At the end, the result is entered in the table, where two quite marked age groups are evidenced according to their behaviors: the age of each participant is a data, while the conclusion to which the study leads is the information.
The data obtained through the use of a comparison chart can be qualitative or quantitative in nature, depending on the case, and it is an ideal tool for visually examining two or more objects. It is typically used in research to evaluate various models, rule out the less viable ones, and provide a relatively detailed picture of the possibilities.
It is very useful for making important decisions , which depend on a careful analysis of the available resources, since they allow to observe all the alternatives objectively and in depth. Although so common today, the comparison chart emerged in the early 1800s. As early as 1785, however, a map was drawn up in which the dimensions of the European countries of the time were compared.
The first formal examples of a comparative chart began to appear in the early 1800s. Charles Smith and John Thomson published comparative tables listing the heights of various mountains and elevations around the world . Tables focused on the comparison of rivers, monuments, planets and animals were also common , taking different data as a reference, which could be length, height and size, among others.
As can be seen, one of the benefits of comparative tables is that they allow us to organize the information and, consequently, achieve a degree of organization that opens the doors to better decisions. They are currently present on various Internet pages; in electronic commerce, to cite a case, they help users to clearly detect the differences between a group of products to choose the most appropriate to their needs.