Bubble Chart

Bubble chart — a kind of graphical presentation of data wherein data points are plotted in the form of circles or bubbles along with three numerical variables. Each circle or ‘’Bubble’’ contains data with measures for both the X-coordinate and the Y-coordinate a and the size of the bubble depicts a third value. Comparison chart is an ideal type of chart when it is necessary to show a great deal of information and reveal the interaction of three measures.

Bubble charts are widely used in spheres that deal with financial analysis, economic forecasting, and market research in order to compare dynamics of various indicators, to reveal trends, and to predict further developments. For instance, in the financial software development, bubble charts may be applied to display the efficiency of various investments; the x-coordinate can reflect time, the y-coordinate – return, and the size of the bubble – risk. In this way, decisions about the data can be made since patterns, correlation, and anomalies can be easily seen when the data is represented in this manner. Because of the fact that bubble charts are capable of providing a clear and concise representation of a large amount of data in a relatively small space, they are quite useful when a more detailed analysis is required in a short period of time.