Lesson 27 — Activity 3: Plotting a Graph



Getting Ready


In this activity, you will first have to decide which are the dependent and independent variables. Then, using this information, you will build a graph.


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Once again, the dependent variable changes as we change the independent variable.

You are given the following information:


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Which one is the independent variable? Which one is the dependent variable? The easiest way to tell is to ask yourself which one depends on the other. Does money earned depend on hours worked, or does hours worked depend on money earned? The answer is that money earned depends on hours worked. Therefore, money earned is the dependent variable and hours worked is the independent variable.


Graphing Paper

Click here to download and print a sheet of graph paper.


Instructions:

  1. On the sheet of graph paper, draw a horizontal line. This will be your x-axis: the number of hours worked. Label it from 1 to 7.
  2. Draw a vertical line from where you started your horizontal line. This is your y-axis: the money earned. Label it from 0 to 140.
  3. Every graph has to have a title. Write the title "Hours Worked versus Money Earned" above the graph. Beside the y-axis, write "Money Earned ($)," and below the x-axis, write "Hours Worked".
  4. Find 1 hour worked and go up to 20 on the y-axis. Place a dot there.
  5. Continue until you have plotted all the way until you have placed a dot at the intersection of 7 and 140.




  Self-check!

Try this!


Click here to download and print a sheet of graph paper.

Create a graph from the information in the table below. Be sure to use the graph paper and a ruler. Be sure the independent variable is on the x-axis and the dependent variable is on the y-axis. Place all titles where they belong.

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