Question
A family went on a cross-country road trip for their summer vacation. The following table shows the number of days and the total amount of miles their car had driven.
Number of Days 1 3 7 10 15
Miles Driven 380 984 1,986 2,251 3,623
Which of the following graphs is most appropriate to construct for the data given in the table to observe how the miles change over a certain number of days? Explain.
A scatter plot, because it would show how a variable changes over time between each individual data point
A scatter plot, because it would show the association, or relationship, between the two variables
A line graph, because it would show how a variable changes over time between each individual data point
A line graph, because it would show the association, or relationship, between the two variables
Number of Days 1 3 7 10 15
Miles Driven 380 984 1,986 2,251 3,623
Which of the following graphs is most appropriate to construct for the data given in the table to observe how the miles change over a certain number of days? Explain.
A scatter plot, because it would show how a variable changes over time between each individual data point
A scatter plot, because it would show the association, or relationship, between the two variables
A line graph, because it would show how a variable changes over time between each individual data point
A line graph, because it would show the association, or relationship, between the two variables
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The most appropriate choice for visualizing the given data of miles driven over the number of days is:
**A scatter plot, because it would show the association, or relationship, between the two variables.**
### Explanation:
1. **Scatter Plot:** A scatter plot allows you to plot individual data points for the number of days against the miles driven. This is particularly useful for observing how miles driven correlates with the number of days.
2. **Line Graph:** While a line graph could also be useful to show changes over time, it is more suited for continuous data. In this case, we are dealing with distinct data points representing specific, non-continuous days, which is better represented in a scatter plot.
Thus, the best choice is the scatter plot, as it clearly illustrates the relationship between the two variables without assuming a continuous progression.
**A scatter plot, because it would show the association, or relationship, between the two variables.**
### Explanation:
1. **Scatter Plot:** A scatter plot allows you to plot individual data points for the number of days against the miles driven. This is particularly useful for observing how miles driven correlates with the number of days.
2. **Line Graph:** While a line graph could also be useful to show changes over time, it is more suited for continuous data. In this case, we are dealing with distinct data points representing specific, non-continuous days, which is better represented in a scatter plot.
Thus, the best choice is the scatter plot, as it clearly illustrates the relationship between the two variables without assuming a continuous progression.