Graphing
The Important Elements of
a Graph
 Horizontal Axis (X-Axis)
 The Independent Variable. A change in this variable affects the
y variable.
 Vertical Axis (Y-Axis)
 The Dependent Variable. This variable is dependent on
change in x variable
 Title
 Should explain the goal of the graph and what it measures.
 Legend
 Should explain what is being measured and the values
 Scale
 The scale of the numbers is important to accurately
interpreting the graph.
TYPES OF GRAPHS
LINE GRAPH
BAR GRAPH
PIE CHART
SCATTER PLOT
Line Graph
 The most common
type of graph.
 Points connected
by a line to make a
visual pattern over
time.
 This pattern is used
to evaluate trends.
Bar Graph
 Often used when
portions of a whole are
being represented.
 Often used when
representing percentage.
 Works well to compare
information across
individuals, settings, or
situations.
Pie Chart
 Useful in
representing
portions of a
whole.
 Useful in
representing
percentages
Scatter Plot
 Used when a
variety of
measurements
are taken
consecutively.
 Each point is
independent.
 Can see how one
point compares
with others.