Why should a bar chart's value axis start at zero?
- A Truncating the axis exaggerates differences and misleads the reader
- B Excel requires it
- C Otherwise the chart will not render
- D It improves performance
Answer
Truncating the axis exaggerates differences and misleads the reader
Bar length encodes magnitude, so a truncated baseline distorts it. Line charts showing change over time may reasonably not start at zero.





