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Reading the areas in Nightingale's mortality diagrams

The colored areas carry quantities, so judging only how far a sector reaches from the center can mislead. Their visual force also raises a separate question: what can a comparison show, and what would be needed to explain the causes behind it?

8–10 min

Questions you could explore

  • Why is area different from radius when reading a chart?
  • How could separating causes of death change the message of the same mortality totals?

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