How much taller is Mount Everest than Mount Koscuiszko? Are Mount Denali and Mount Kilimanjaro very different in height?
Answer
Everest against Koscuiszko:
8848 m − 2228 m = 6620 m
Mount Everest is 6620 metres taller than Mount Koscuiszko — that is, Everest is almost four times as tall (4 × 2228 = 8912, only a little more than 8848).
Denali against Kilimanjaro:
6194 m − 5895 m = 299 m
No, they are not very different. The gap of 299 m is only about one-twentieth of either mountain's height, so on a bar graph their bars look almost equal.
The seven tallest mountains as horizontal bars. Denali and Kilimanjaro are nearly the same length; Koscuiszko is far shorter than the rest.
Why the bar graph beats the table: from a table of seven numbers you must subtract in your head before you can compare. In the picture the eye does the work — the Denali and Kilimanjaro bars end almost at the same place, while the Koscuiszko bar is obviously the odd one out.