NCERT Class 4 Maths · Chapter 14

Data Handling

Asking good survey questions, organising answers in tables and tally marks, and reading pictographs.

📌 What you’ll learn in this chapter
  • How to ask a clear survey question
  • Recording answers using letters and tally marks
  • Organising data in a table
  • Reading and making pictographs
  • Answering “most”, “least”, and “how many more” questions

🗳️ Let’s Begin: The Picnic Vote

The class teacher wants to know where the class should go for a picnic. Riya asks, “Which places do you like?” Everyone names 3 or 4 places, and it’s very confusing!

Arjun asks a better question: “Which ONE place would you like to go to the most?” Now each child gives one answer, and it’s easy to count the winner.

❓ Part 1: Asking the Right Question

  • A clear question gets one answer from each person.
  • Use words like “the most”, “your favourite”, or “only one”.

✍️ Part 2: Recording and Organising

Write a short code for each answer (e.g. M for Maths), then count using tally marks. Draw 4 lines and cross them with the 5th: |||| = 5.

Favourite fruitTallyNumber
Mango|||| |||| ||12
Banana|||| |||8
Apple||||5
Grapes|||| ||||10

Total = 12 + 8 + 5 + 10 = 35. Most liked: mango. Least liked: apple. Mango is liked by 12 − 5 = 7 more children than apple.

💡 Why tables? A long list of letters is hard to read. A table shows the answers at a glance.

🖼️ Part 3: Pictographs

A pictograph uses small pictures to show data. Always read the key.

Samosas sold in the canteen (🥟 = 5 samosas)

DayPicturesSamosas
Monday🥟🥟🥟15
Tuesday🥟🥟🥟🥟🥟25
Wednesday🥟🥟10

Tuesday sold the most. Total = 50 samosas.

⚠️ Common mistake Counting pictures instead of items. If one picture = 5, then 3 pictures = 15, not 3!

✏️ Practice Time

Try these on your own first, then check your answer below each question.

Q1. Which is a better survey question: “Do you like games?” or “Which ONE game do you like the most?”
✅ AnswerThe second one. It gives one clear answer from each person.
Q2. What number do these tally marks show: |||| |||| |||| |?
✅ Answer16
Q3. In a pictograph, ⭐ = 2 children. How many children do 7 stars show?
✅ Answer14
Q4. Using the fruit table above, how many more children like grapes than bananas?
✅ Answer10 − 8 = 2

📘 NCERT Textbook Activity Help

Hints and answers for the activities in the textbook, page by page. Try each one yourself before looking at the answer!

Pages 203–205 · Favourite subject

Right question and table

✅ AnswerAnjali’s question (“Which subject do you like the most?”) is better, because each child gives only one answer.
Counting the 45 responses: Mathematics 10 · Languages 8 · The World Around Us 7 · Physical Education 11 · Arts 9 (total 45 ✅)
Most common: Physical Education · Least common: The World Around Us
The table (way 2) is easier to understand, because the numbers are already counted and arranged.
Pages 206–207 · Colourful Golas

Which colour?

✅ AnswerCount each row: Red 8 · Blue 5 · Orange 7 · Yellow 10
1. (a) Most: yellow (b) Least: blue. We know from the longest and shortest rows.
2. They would buy a yellow gola.
3–4. In Rohan’s record, the figures show whether a boy or a girl ate each gola. Count the boy figures and girl figures in each row to find each group’s favourite colour.
5. Rohan’s record (with people) helps with the boys/girls questions. Anjali’s record (with golas) is quicker for “most” and “least”.
Chess or Cricket: This depends on your class survey. Fill the table and compare the numbers.
Page 208 · Bal Mela

Fruit chaat and sandwiches

✅ AnswerCounting the pictures: Fruit chaat: Day 1 = 7, Day 2 = 12, Day 3 = 9 → 28. Sandwiches: Day 1 = 12, Day 2 = 16, Day 3 = 18 → 46.
2. Most sandwiches: Day 3 3. On Day 2, sandwiches (16) sold more than fruit chaat (12).
4. Total sales: Day 1 = 19 · Day 2 = 28 · Day 3 = 27. Circle Day 2.

👨‍👩‍👧 Tips for Parents

  • Survey family members (favourite sweet, colour, or TV show) and make a tally table.
  • Draw a pictograph of fruits eaten in a week at home.
  • Ask: “Which is the most? Which is the least? By how many?”
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