Scatter graphs

Key words:

• Bivariate data – data from two variables e.g. Maths test results and English test
results

• Interpolate – estimate a value between two known values.

• Extrapolate – find a value by following a pattern and going outside the range of
known values. This not reliable because the pattern may not continue outside the
existing values

• Lines of best fit - a line that goes roughly through the middle of all the scatter
points on a graph.

• Correlation – a measurement of how strongly connected two sets of data are

Types of Correlation:

y-axis y-axis y-axis

x-axis x-axis x-axis

Positive correlation Negative correlation No correlation

Strong correlation – the points lie close to the line of best fit

Weak correlation – the points are spread out from the line of best fit but still follow the
trend

Causation – two variables which are linked and a change in one variable causes a change in
the other variable e.g. number of ice-cream sales and the temperature

Outlier - A value that is much smaller or larger than most of the other values in a set of
data.

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 Scatter graphs
Type of
Scatter Graph Describe
Correlation
Ice creams sold

Temperature
Number of pets

House Number
Vlaue of car

Age of Car
History Test Score

Geogrpahy Test score

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 Scatter graphs
1. The scatter graph shows the change in car values over time

10000

9000

8000

7000

6000
Car Value £

5000

4000

3000

2000

1000

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Age in years

a. Give the co-ordinates of the outlier

b. What type of correlation is this?

c. Describe the relationship between the two variables

d. Using a line of best fit,

i. What would be the approximate value of the car after 4 ½ years?

ii. What would be the approximate value of the car after 6 years?

iii. Why is this not a reliable value? Give a reason for your answer

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 Scatter graphs
2. The scatter graph shows the heights of 7 plum trees and the number of plums on each

30

25

20
Number of plums

15

10

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
Height of tree (m)

a. Describe the relationship between the number of plums on a tree and the height of
the tree

3 more trees were measured and the details entered on the table below.

Height (m) 2.1 1.4 1.0

Number of plums 22 10 21

b. Plot these values on the scatter graph.

There is an outlier

c. Write down the coordinates of this outlier

d. Draw a line of best fit ignoring the outlier

e. Estimate the number of plums on a tree 2.4m tall

f. What percentage of trees have more than 15 plums on them?

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 Scatter graphs
3. The table show the results for a Year 10 Maths and English test

Maths 32 39 31 33 39 32 45 26 40

English 34 43 27 34 32 37 48 25 37

a. Draw a scatter graph for this data.

b. What type of correlation is shown?

c. Using a line of best fit,

i. estimate Verity’s English score if her Maths score is 36

ii. Nick scored 49 in his English test, estimate his Maths score.

d. Which of these two estimates is less reliable? Why?

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 Scatter graphs
4. The table shows the height of a tomato plant (cm) and the number of days since it was
planted

Number of days 40 45 50 55 60 65 70

Height (cm) 9.6 10.5 11.2 12.3 13.4 14.3 15.2

a. Plot this data on the graph below, remembering to label your axes

b. How could this scatter graph be improved?

c. Comment on the relationship between the height of the tomato plants and the
number of days since they were planted

d. Estimate the height of the tomato plant exactly eight weeks after planting

e. Why would it not be sensible to use the line of best fit to estimate the height after
three months?

f. What is the percentage change in height between days 40 and 70?

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 Scatter graphs
5. The table shows the height of a person and the number of ice-creams they eat in the
summer.

Height (m) 1.5 1.8 1.6 1.0 0.9 0.75 1.25

Number of ice creams 12 15 20 17 21 8 26

a. What type of correlation would you expect if you plotted this scatter graph?

b. Explain why?

6. The table shows a person’s house number and their height in metres.

House Number 44 53 12 13 25 37 45

Height (m) 1.2 1.51 0.95 1.7 1.2 1.12 1.63

Why is a scatter graph not an appropriate diagram for this data?

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Answers

Describe the
Scatter Graph Type of Correlation
relationship
Temperature

The number of ice

Strong positive
creams sold increases
correlation
with the temperature
Ice creams sold
Number of pets

The is no correlation
between a person’s
No correlation house number and the
number of pets that
House Number they own
Vlaue of car

Strong negative As a car gets older it’s

Correlation value decreases
Age of Car

There is some
History Test Score

correlation between a
student’s geography
test scores and history
Weak positive
scores.
correlation
As the geography score
Geogrpahy Test score increases, the history
score increases too

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 Scatter graphs
1. The scatter graph shows the change in car values over time

10000

9000

8000

7000

6000
Car Value £

5000

4000

3000

2000

1000

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Age in years

e. Give the co-ordinates of the outlier - (3, 1000)

f. What type of correlation is this? – strong negative correlation

g. Describe the relationship between the two variables -

As a car gets older the value decreases

h. Using a line of best fit,

iv. What would be the approximate value of the car after 4 ½ years? £2800

v. What would be the approximate value of the car after 6 years? £600

vi. Why is this not a reliable value? Give a reason for your answer

– beyond the data given/ Car could be a vintage car

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 Scatter graphs
2. The scatter graph shows the heights of 7 plum trees and the number of plums on each

30

25
Number of plums

20

15

10

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3
Height of tree (m)

a. Describe the relationship between the number of plums on a tree and the height of
the tree. As the height of the tree increases, the number of plums also increases

3 more trees were measured and the details entered on the table below.

Height (m) 2.1 1.4 1.0

Number of plums 22 10 21

b. Plot these values on the scatter graph.

There is an outlier

c. Write down the coordinates of this outlier (1,21)

d. Draw a line of best fit ignoring the outlier

e. Estimate the number of plums on a tree 2.4m tall 23 plums

f. What percentage of trees have more than 15 plums on them? 60%

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 Scatter graphs
3. The table show the results for a Year 10 Maths and English test

Maths 32 39 31 33 39 32 45 26 40

English 34 43 27 34 32 37 48 25 37

a. Draw a scatter graph for this data.

60

50

40
English

30

20

10

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Maths

b. What type of correlation is shown? Positive correlation

c. Using a line of best fit,

a. estimate Verity’s English score if her Maths score is 36 - 36

b. Nick scored 49 in his English test, estimate his Maths score. - 48

d. Which of these two estimates is less reliable? Why? Nick’s score is less reliable

as the data is outside the given range

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 Scatter graphs
4. The table shows the height of a tomato plant (cm) and the number of days since it was planted

Number of days 40 45 50 55 60 65 70

Height (cm) 9.6 10.5 11.2 12.3 13.4 14.3 15.2

a. Plot this data on the graph below, remembering to label your axes

16

14

12

10
height cm

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Number of days

b. How could this scatter graph be improved? Change the axes scale/not start at 0

c. Comment on the relationship between the height of the tomato plants and the number of
days since they were planted

The height of the tomato plants increases with the number of days

d. Estimate the height of the tomato plant exactly eight weeks after planting
(56 days) 12.6cm

e. Why would it not be sensible to use the line of best fit to estimate the height after three months?
Outside the data range given

f. What is the percentage change in height between days 40 and 70?

Approx. 58%

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 Scatter graphs
5. The table shows the height of a person and the number of ice-creams they eat in the summer.

Height (m) 1.5 1.8 1.6 1.0 0.9 0.75 1.25

Number of ice 12 15 20 17 21 8 26
creams

a. What type of correlation would you expect if you plotted this scatter graph?
No correlation

b. Explain why?

There is no relationship between a person’s height and the number of ice-creams they eat

6. The table shows a person’s house number and their height in metres.

House 44 53 12 13 25 37 45
Number
Height (m) 1.2 1.51 0.95 1.7 1.2 1.12 1.63

Why is a scatter graph not an appropriate diagram for this data?

There is no relationship between a person’s house number and their height.

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