Numeracy Skills
3. Reading & Interpreting Graphs and Charts
3.4. Scattergraphs
As with line graphs, ‘scattergraphs’ (also known as scatter plots) can be used to depict, where one exists, a proportionate relationship between two or more sets of data.
Such graphs do so by plotting dots (or crosses) against the x and y axes of a chart.
They are particularly useful for comparing quantities of information for which timescale is not a relevant factor.
They would not, for this reason, offer a suitable arrangement for laying out our previous data on cats.
Where a positive trend (i.e. when there is a direct relationship between x and y) can be identified, the pattern will look something like this:
Where a negative trend (i.e. when there is an inverse relationship between x and y) can be identified, the pattern will look something like this:
Where no trend is present, the pattern of dots will appear fairly random:
