Graphing The Important Elements of a Graph Horizontal

Graphing

The Important Elements of a Graph § Horizontal Axis (X-Axis) § Represents the passage of time and the numerical value of behavior. § The Independent Variable. § Vertical Axis (Y-Axis) § Represents the numerical property of the behavior. § The Dependent Variable. § Title § Should explain the goal of the graph and what it measures. § 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. § Can be useful when the X-axis uses nonconsecutive data points. § 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.

Generating a Graph

Graphing Gives the viewer the ability to see trends and analyze data in a different way than simply looking at numbers.