Sometimes when you are working with a lot of numbers at one time, things can get confusing. It may not be clear how the numbers are related to one another. You might find it helpful to arrange the numbers in a way that is easier to understand.
One way to do this is to create a table. A table is a chart or graph that shows how numbers relate to each other. It helps you compare two or more things. A table is made up of rows and columns. The rows show one kind of information, and the columns show another.
How do you read tables? Let's say you are reading a table that shows how many hours Ben and Maria worked on Monday and Tuesday.
| |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Total |
|
Ben |
3 |
4 |
7 |
|
Maria |
2 |
5 |
7 |
|
Total |
5 |
9 |
14 |
The first row gives information about Ben. The second row gives information about Maria. The first column gives information about Monday. The second column gives information about Tuesday.
What if you wanted to know how many hours Ben worked on Tuesday? You can find this information in the table. Look at the first row, labeled "Ben," and see where it crosses the second column, labeled "Tuesday." In this box, you see the number 4. So Ben worked four hours on Tuesday. You can use the table to find other information, too.
