Read a price chart without losing the data
See this course’s project requirements
A fictional stock-literacy file with a quote card, checked order and gap cases, an accessible OHLC chart, a pattern counterexample and a reconciled paper-trade ledger.
Keep your working files in your own notebook or software. Save a private description, checklist, and work link in My Proof.
What to include
- A quote card with exact symbol, historical last price, best bid, best ask, spread, visible sizes and simulation limitations.
- An order comparison showing executed quantity, unfilled quantity, gross cost, weighted fill price, fee and total cash cost.
- A two-column gap comparison with trigger, resulting instruction, fill status, executed price, net cash and unsold shares.
- An annotated original candle chart, exact matching data table and period-3 range/body/wick calculation.
- A pattern note with numerical definitions, $49 three-period average, opposing continuations and a failed observed-support band.
- A complete fictional stock-literacy file with quote card, order/gap comparisons, accessible OHLC chart, pattern counterexample and reconciled two-order ledger.
Review and revise
Use these criteria to check your work and choose what to improve.
- Quote, order and ledger records use the exact supplied inputs, distinguish submitted/pending/filled states and reconcile all executed quantities.
- Money calculations show units, fees and intermediate steps; cash and shares agree with an independent calculation.
- The original chart has a matching table and labels; pattern notes retain contrary evidence and distinguish historical observations from forecasts.
- All six lesson outputs and changed-input results are included, with fictional assumptions and untested real-world behavior stated accurately.
Want more background?
The idea in everyday life
All six daily periods are invented. Each row records the open, highest, lowest and closing transaction price plus shares traded during that period. They are historical measurements, not executable quotes. A chart point or candle never supplies a guaranteed price for a later order. No dividends, split adjustment, fees or cash movements are included.
A candle compresses four historical prices into one shape. The table remains the exact record; color is only a visual aid.
Read a price chart without losing the data — worked paper practice
A candle compresses four historical prices into one shape. The table remains the exact record; color is only a visual aid.
All six daily periods are invented. Each row records the open, highest, lowest and closing transaction price plus shares traded during that period. They are historical measurements, not executable quotes. A chart point or candle never supplies a guaranteed price for a later order. No dividends, split adjustment, fees or cash movements are included.
PINE-PRACTICE invented daily history
Paste at A1.
| APeriod | BOpen ($) | CHigh ($) | DLow ($) | EClose ($) | FVolume (shares) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 | 52 | 49 | 51 | 1000 |
| 2 | 51 | 53 | 50 | 52 | 1400 |
| 3 | 52 | 52.5 | 48 | 49 | 2200 |
| 4 | 49 | 51 | 48.5 | 50 | 1300 |
| 5 | 50 | 51 | 49 | 50 | 1200 |
| 6 | 49 | 50 | 46 | 47 | 2500 |
Copy as plain text
1. Find the four prices
Read period 3 directly from the table and check both endpoints lie inside low/high.
You should see: Open 52; high 52.50; low 48; close 49; volume 2,200 shares.
An impossible OHLC row should be corrected before drawing it.
2. Calculate range and body
Subtract low from high; take the absolute difference between close and open.
52.50 - 48 = 4.50; abs(49 - 52) = 3You should see: Range $4.50 and body $3.00; close is below open.
Direction describes this interval, while body magnitude is nonnegative.
3. Calculate both wicks
Subtract the higher endpoint from high and low from the lower endpoint.
You should see: Upper $0.50; lower $1.00; 0.50 + 3.00 + 1.00 = 4.50.
The segments must reconcile to the whole range.
4. Compare chart types
Plot the six closing prices, then compare with the candle/table view.
You should see: The close line shows 51, 52, 49, 50, 50, 47; it omits daily open/high/low.
Two chart types can show different detail from the same history.
5. Explain what stays unknown
Write one fact the candle cannot establish.
You should see: It does not establish high/low ordering, your cost basis or the next price.
OHLC compresses history and leaves important information out.
What to finish
An annotated original candle chart, exact matching data table and period-3 range/body/wick calculation.
Watch for this
Calling a down candle a loss for every owner, or inferring the sequence of intraday moves from four summary prices.
How can I tell I understand it?
Identify the four prices and reproduce body, range and both wicks after the inputs change.
Quick knowledge check
Answer all 3 questions. Get at least 2 right and the lesson completes automatically.
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Pass the check. We’ll save the progress.
Answer all 3 questions above and get at least 2 right. You can review the explanations and try again.
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Sources and further reading
Explore the references behind this lesson.
Source & access notes · checked 2026-10-01
Inspected distinction between current bid/offer quotes and historical OHLC/volume records.
Access: Public official page inspected with the web reader on 2026-10-01; no broker tools or real transactions operated.
Reuse: Concept references only. All prices, records, charts, worked examples, exercises and questions are original fictional LifeStarter material; no source diagram or exercise copied.
Source & access notes · checked 2026-10-01
Inspected OHLC/body/wick and chart-interval representations. Only general chart concepts apply here; this course uses original stock fixtures, not copied futures charts.
Access: Public official page inspected with the web reader on 2026-10-01; no broker tools or real transactions operated.
Reuse: Concept references only. All prices, records, charts, worked examples, exercises and questions are original fictional LifeStarter material; no source diagram or exercise copied.
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