[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-665487-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":79,"doc-detail-665487-en":129},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":72,"head_meta":74,"extra_data":76,"updated_unix":78},105,"en","a-guide-to-scatter-and-line-graphs-3d","A Guide to Scatter and Line Graphs - 3d","","Scatter graphs and line graphs explain relationships between two variables using continuous data and clear visual structure. Scatter graphs are used to detect correlation, anomalies, overall trends, and the strength of relationships when many data points are available. Line graphs join plotted points to show change over continuous measures like time or distance, supporting comparisons and narratives. The guide also covers compound line graphs for totals and components and explains logarithmic scales to handle very large data ranges, including log-log plots and practical steps for plotting accurately.",{"@graph":14,"@context":71},[15,34,54],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/technology/","Technology",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/a-guide-to-scatter-and-line-graphs-3d/665487/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":48,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":49,"interactionStatistic":50},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/a-guide-to-scatter-and-line-graphs-3d/665487.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Stanford","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29",true,{"@type":51,"interactionType":52,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":53},"ViewAction",{"@type":55,"mainEntity":56},"FAQPage",[57,63,67],{"name":58,"@type":59,"acceptedAnswer":60},"When should a scatter graph be used instead of other chart types?","Question",{"text":61,"@type":62},"Use scatter graphs when both variables are continuous and you want to judge whether they are correlated by visual patterns and the overall trend between points.","Answer",{"name":64,"@type":59,"acceptedAnswer":65},"What is a line of best fit, and how does it help interpret scatter data?",{"text":66,"@type":62},"A line of best fit can be drawn when correlation is suspected. It should sit centrally with roughly equal points above and below; the line’s angle and direction indicate the correlation type, while outlying points can suggest anomalies.",{"name":68,"@type":59,"acceptedAnswer":69},"How do logarithmic scales help when data values vary widely?",{"text":70,"@type":62},"Logarithmic scales compress the axis so a meaningful scale fits on one graph. Values increase in non-equal steps (e.g., 1, 10, 100, 1000), and if both data sets span a large range, a log-log plot can be used.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":73,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":75,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":77,"site_id":7},665487,1793304485,{"code":4,"msg":80,"data":81},"success",[82,86,90,94,99,103,108,113,118,121,125],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":83,"show_sort_weight":84,"slug":85},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":87,"show_sort_weight":88,"slug":89},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":91,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":95,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":100,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":101,"slug":102},6,50,"technology",{"id":104,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":105,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":107},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":109,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":110,"show_sort_weight":111,"slug":112},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":114,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":115,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":119,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":120},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":122,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":123,"show_sort_weight":122,"slug":124},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":126,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":127,"show_sort_weight":95,"slug":128},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":80,"data":130},{"doc_id":77,"user_id":131,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":132,"doc_module":4,"category_id":100,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":133,"file_id":134,"file_url":135,"file_type":136,"file_size":137,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":33,"language":138,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":139,"faqs":140,"seo_title":141,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":78,"read_time":122},2336477552062,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_994ba38a5ba835b3df7d355c54d3ed8d","3d – A Guide to  \nScatter and Line Graphs  \nScatter graphs and line graphs are used to show the potential correlation between two different variables.  \nScatter graphs  \nScatter graphs can be used when the data from both variables under investigation is continuous. In order to be able to judge whether there is a correlation between the two variables, the researcher should try to include as many points as possible: fewer than thirty points can make it difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions from the data.  \nWhy would we use a scatter graph?  \nResearchers tend to use scatter graphs when they are faced with very large sets of data. Scatter graphs allow researchers to identify anomalies in the data more easily as well as the overall trend and relationship between the variables. The strength of any relationship can also be visualised.  \n\n| A scattergraph to show the realtionship between different development\u003Cbr>indicators |  |  |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Life expectancy at birth | 85\u003Cbr>80\u003Cbr>75\u003Cbr>70\u003Cbr>65\u003Cbr>60\u003Cbr>55\u003Cbr>50\u003Cbr>45 | |\n| 0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000\u003Cbr>GDP per capita (US$) |  |  |\n\nA line of best fit can also be drawn on the graph if the researcher suspects that there is a correlation. This line does not necessarily have to go through any points at all, but should fall in the middle of the points and aim to have an equal number of points above and below the line. An outlying point may be interpreted as an anomaly. The angle and direction of the line of best fit can tell the researcher what type of correlation the data has.  \nThis project was funded by the Nuffield Foundation, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.  \na)  \nc)  \nb)  \nd)  \na) Drawing a line of best fit. The outlying point may be thought of as an anomaly.  \nb) No correlation. It is not possible to draw a line of best fit by eye.  \nc) Strong positive correlation  \nd) Strong negative correlation  \nThe nature of the data used in a scatter graph may mean that a line of best fit is not possible. Instead, clusters of data may be identifiable and rings may be drawn on the graph to show how one idea is true for one scale of data and another is true at the other end of the scale.  \nLine graphs  \nLine graphs are used to show the change in a relationship between two variables over a form of continuous data such as distance, or most often, time. Points are plotted in the same way as one would for a scatter graph but then joined together in sequence.  \nWhy would we use a line graph?  \nResearchers would use a line graph to show the nature of a relationship, not whether there is a relationship or not between two sets of data. They can be used to instantly see the ‘journey’ made by a geographical entity over time or distance which can be useful for creating a narrative around a geographical idea.  \n\n| Total number of asylum seekers to the UK\u003Cbr>100000  |  |\n| --- | --- |\n| 80000\u003Cbr>60000\u003Cbr>40000\u003Cbr>20000 | |\n| 0 ~~ ~~\u003Cbr>2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 |  |\n\nMore than one line can appear on a graph, along with a key, to show different sets of data.  \n\n| A comparison of asylum applications made to the UK and France 2001-2014 |  |\n| --- | --- |\n| 100,000\u003Cbr>80,000\u003Cbr>60,000\u003Cbr>40,000\u003Cbr>20,000\u003Cbr>0 | \u003Cbr>2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013\u003Cbr> UK  France |\n\nCompound line graphs  \nFor some data there may be a total value, and further component values , that can be shown on the same graph. For example, the total number of asylum seeker applications a country receives may change over time but the places from which those asylum seekers come will vary in different years.  \n\n| The origin of asylum seekers to the UK 2001-2014 |  |\n| --- | --- |\n| 100000\u003Cbr>80000\u003Cbr>60000\u003Cbr>40000\u003Cbr>20000\u003Cbr>0 | |\n| 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013\u003Cbr> Asia  Africa  Europe  Middle East |  |\n\nUsing Logarithmic Scales  \nSometimes the spread of the data is so large between the minimum and maximum values that producing a gra","cbCaioINpvE8gC6n","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaioINpvE8gC6n","pdf",128401,"English","# Scatter graphs\n## Why use a scatter graph?\n## Line of best fit and correlations\n# Line graphs\n## Why use a line graph?\n# Compound line graphs\n# Using logarithmic scales\n## Log graphs and log-log plots\n## Drawing and plotting on log scales","[{\"question\":\"When should a scatter graph be used instead of other chart types?\",\"answer\":\"Use scatter graphs when both variables are continuous and you want to judge whether they are correlated by visual patterns and the overall trend between points.\"},{\"question\":\"What is a line of best fit, and how does it help interpret scatter data?\",\"answer\":\"A line of best fit can be drawn when correlation is suspected. It should sit centrally with roughly equal points above and below; the line’s angle and direction indicate the correlation type, while outlying points can suggest anomalies.\"},{\"question\":\"How do logarithmic scales help when data values vary widely?\",\"answer\":\"Logarithmic scales compress the axis so a meaningful scale fits on one graph. Values increase in non-equal steps (e.g., 1, 10, 100, 1000), and if both data sets span a large range, a log-log plot can be used.\"}]","A Guide to Scatter and Line Graphs - 3d | PDF"]