Let’s look at the data and chart to understand what’s happening.
We have 5 expense categories (Expense 1 through Expense 5) tracked over months from January to November.
Looking at the numbers:
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Expense 1 increases every month:
Jan = 100, Feb = 200, Mar = 300, Apr = 400, May = 500, Jun = 600, Jul = 700, Aug = 800, Sep = 900, Oct = 1000, Nov = 1100 → This is going up by 100 each month.
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Expenses 2, 3, 4, and 5 stay exactly the same every single month:
Expense 2 = always 200
Expense 3 = always 300
Expense 4 = always 400
Expense 5 = always 500
Now look at the bar chart on the right — it shows “Expense Trends”. The bars are mostly flat except for one that’s rising sharply. That matches Expense 1 — it’s the only one changing.
So the trend we’re seeing is:
→ Only Expense 1 is increasing over time.
→ All other expenses are constant.
That means the overall “expense trend” shown in the chart is driven entirely by Expense 1.
If someone asks: “What is causing the upward trend in total expenses?” — the answer is clearly Expense 1.
Also, if you add up all expenses per month, the total will go up by 100 each month because only Expense 1 changes.
For example:
Jan total = 100 + 200 + 300 + 400 + 500 = 1500
Feb total = 200 + 200 + 300 + 400 + 500 = 1600
Mar total = 300 + 200 + 300 + 400 + 500 = 1700
...and so on.
Each month, total goes up by 100 — again, because only Expense 1 increases.
Final Answer:
The upward trend in expenses is caused solely by Expense 1, which increases by $100 each month. All other expenses remain constant.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of business expenses worksheet.
