L4 Scatterplots
Completion requirements
Unit D: Graphing
Scatterplots
When real-life data is plotted on a graph, the result is often a linear relation. By assigning the independent variable to the x-axis and the dependent variable to the y-axis, the locations of the points can show if one set of data is influenced (or not influenced) by another.
Graph A: Does the amount of time spent on homework affect a student's test mark?
Graph B: Does the price of apples affect the number of apples sold?
The general direction of the trend can be seen in both graph A and graph B; however, all the data points are not located on a line. This type of graph is called a scatterplot. A scatterplot is used to determine if there is a relationship or connection between two sets of data (the dependent variable and the independent variable). It may be possible to find a clear trend in the data based on the location of the points.