Parts of a Graph
This tells what the graph is about.
Title
Instead of looking at a long list of numbers, mathematicians use this visual tool to turn "data" into a picture that shows patterns, trends, or comparisons.
Graphs
The horizontal line on a graph is called the ________.
X-axis
If a line goes up from left to right, what does that mean?
The data is increasing.
You are tracking how many pages you read each night for one week. What type of graph should you create?
Line graph
These tell what each axis represents.
Axis labels
This graph is best for showing change over time.
Line Graph
The vertical line on a graph is called the ________.
Y-axis
If two bars are the same height, what does that tell you?
The categories have equal amounts.
You survey your class about their favorite type of pet (dog, cat, fish, bird). What type of graph should you create?
Bar graph
This axis usually shows the independent variable.
X-axis
This graph is best for comparing categories.
Bar Graph
The independent variable is usually found on this axis.
X-axis
If a line graph showing a hiker's distance stays perfectly flat (horizontal) for one hour, it means the hiker was doing... what?
resting (or not moving)
You are showing how a $20 class fundraiser was spent (supplies, snacks, decorations). What type of graph would best show this?
Pie chart (circle graph)
This axis usually shows the dependent variable.
Y-axis
This graph is best for showing parts of a whole.
Pie chart (circle graph)
The dependent variable changes because of this variable.
Independent variable
On a map's pictograph, if one "Full Star" symbol represents 10 people, this is the number of people represented by 3.5 stars.
35
You are testing how plant height changes with different amounts of water.
What should go on the x-axis?
What should go on the y-axis?
X-axis: Amount of water (independent variable)
Y-axis: Plant height (dependent variable)
This part shows the numbers used to measure data.
Scale
This graph uses pictures or symbols to represent data.
Pictograph
The intervals on a graph when creating the scale must always be this (equal or unequal?).
Equal
Looking at a line graph of a student's plant growth over 4 weeks: On Week 1, the plant was 2 inches tall. On Week 4, it reached 14 inches. If the plant grew the exact same amount each week, this is the specific number of inches the plant grew between Week 2 and Week 3.
4 inches
You collect the following data on temperature over 5 days:
Monday: 60°
Tuesday: 64°
Wednesday: 68°
Thursday: 72°
Friday: 70°
What graph should you create, and what interval would you use on the y-axis?
Line graph
Y-axis interval example: count by 2s or 5s (equal intervals)