How to interpret a scatter plot?

A scatter plot is a graph that displays the relationship between two variables.

Scatter plots are used to analyse the relationship between two variables. The horizontal axis represents one variable, while the vertical axis represents the other variable. Each point on the graph represents a pair of values for the two variables. The pattern of the points on the graph can reveal whether there is a positive, negative or no correlation between the two variables.

A positive correlation means that as one variable increases, the other variable also increases. This is shown by a pattern of points that slope upwards from left to right. A negative correlation means that as one variable increases, the other variable decreases. This is shown by a pattern of points that slope downwards from left to right. No correlation means that there is no relationship between the two variables. This is shown by a random pattern of points on the graph.

Scatter plots can also be used to identify outliers, which are points that do not fit the pattern of the other points on the graph. Outliers can be caused by errors in measurement or by unusual data points. It is important to identify outliers because they can have a significant impact on the correlation between the two variables.

In summary, scatter plots are a useful tool for analysing the relationship between two variables. They can reveal whether there is a positive, negative or no correlation between the two variables, and can also identify outliers.