Paper Towel Investigation
Complete Data Collection
Answer Questions 1-5
completely
Paper Towel Investigation
Get to work on your graph
I will be around to answer questions
and be sure you did your HW
This is due very soon-
don’t waste time
I Have Data...Now What?
How to display your data
What is a Graph?
● Graphs are a way to display a lot of information into a picture
● It is much easier to understand patterns and trends and to
make predictions with a graph than with raw data
Which Graph?
● You select the type of
graph based on the type
of data you wish to
display
○ Quantitative
■ Time
■ Amounts
■ Percentages
○ Qualitative
■ Categories
Bar Graph
● The height of the bar represents the amount and the color of the bar
represents the category.
● When to use:
○ Making comparisons amongst categorical data
○ When you have categories (IV) and amounts (DV)
● Double bar graphs might be used to compare multiple categories at once
Line Graph
● The height of the line represents the amount and it shows the change
over time when read left to right
● When to use:
○ When you are showing continuous change over time
○ Comparing how the amounts of things (DV) have changed over time (IV)
● Multiple lines are used for two different data sets
In most cases, when we have two sets of
PLEASE NOTE…. quantitative data in Biology class, we will
construct a line graph…
• Line graphs DO NOT always need to have time on the x axis if directed to
construct a line graph with data
With that said….
Scatter Plot
● Each dot represents how the IV and DV compare for each experimental
group/trial
○ A line of best fit is sometimes drawn to approximate the trend of the data
■ The best fit line does not go through every data point
● When to use:
○ When comparing two sets of numerical data
○ Use when you only have quantitative data only!
Remember, if you are told to make a
line graph, be sure to make a line
graph and not a scatter plot…
Why teach you scatter plots…
Science Research
Higher Level
Knowledge is Power
Pie Chart
● The size of each color represents the percentage of that category in the
entire data set
● When to use:
○ When you want to show the relationship of parts to the whole
○ Different from bar chart because a pie chart focuses on comparing percentages
of each category
General Graphing Rules
● Graphs should always be neat
as they are the picture of your
data and you want to make
sure they can be read easily
○ Use a ruler and graph paper!
○ Graphs should take up most of
the available space so it is
easier to read
● Graphs should always have
titles so the reader knows
what they are looking at
● Graphs should have labels or
legends so the reader knows
what your colors mean
The X and Y Axis
● Need to have a title and
a unit
● Independent variable
Y-axis title (unit)
goes on the x-axis
(horizontal)
● Dependent variable
goes on the y-axis
(vertical)
● The x and y axis need to
be drawn darkly and
with a straight edge
X-axis title (unit)
Axis Scales
● Scales should start at zero
● The end of the axis should be large
enough to contain all of the data
● The scale does not need to be the same
between each axis but should be
uniform
○ The step between each grid line
should be equal on the axis
● Breaks are sometimes included but
ONLY if needed to show that some of
the data is very different from the rest
○ Ask your teacher before using
them
TULIPS
Checklist
• Title
• Units
• Labels
• Intervals
• Plotted
• Scale
Paper Towel Investigation
Continued
Complete the entire packet,
referring to your notes as you work.