Definition of a Scatter Plot
A scatter plot is a graphical representation that displays values for typically two variables for a set of data. It uses Cartesian coordinates, where each point represents an observation in the dataset. The position of each point on the horizontal (x) and vertical (y) axes indicates the values of the two variables. Scatter plots are useful for observing relationships or correlations between variables, such as whether they are positively or negatively correlated or if no correlation exists.
Example of a Scatter Plot
Imagine you are studying the relationship between the number of hours studied and scores on a test. You collect data from several students:
| Student | Hours Studied (X) | Test Score (Y) | |---------|--------------------|-----------------| | A | 1 | 50 | | B | 2 | 55 | | C | 3 | 65 | | D | 4 | 70 | | E | 5 | 80 |
In this example, you would plot each student’s hours studied on the x-axis and their test scores on the y-axis. The resulting scatter plot might show a positive correlation, indicating that as the number of hours studied increases, test scores tend to increase as well. Each student's data point would appear as a dot on the graph, helping visualize the relationship between hours studied and test outcomes.
Visual Representation
Here's a rough idea of how the scatter plot would look (not to scale):
Test Score (Y)
|
| D(4,70)
| C(3,65)
| B(2,55)
| A(1,50)
|__________________________________________________ Hours Studied (X)
1 2 3 4 5
This simple plot would typically reveal a trend suggesting a direct relationship between the two variables.