Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I help people communicate data clearly with graphs. In “When Should I Use Logarithmic Scales in My Charts and Graphs”, I ...

Learn how to read a stock chart to make smarter, more calculated, and confident trading and investing decisions.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I help people communicate data clearly with graphs. There are two main reasons to use logarithmic scales in charts and graphs.

On a linear scale -- the scale most people are accustomed to seeing in charts -- the points represent equal intervals. The same data on a linear scale looks like this, showing that OxyContin doses ...