
Join the points and you’ll see how easy it is to spot the trend now. Using the given data, indicate the values on the graph.Here, the label for the x-axis will be time or day. Mark the axes as per their individual characteristics. The other element goes on the vertical axis, the y-axis. For instance, if one of the elements is time, it goes on the horizontal axis, which is the x-axis.

Look at the reference graph shown below to understand better. Do not forget to pen the heading above the table.

Points: It represents the (x, y) ordered pair. Scales: The horizontal and vertical scales tell us the quantitative value of “how much” or “how many”. Y-axis: It tells us about the label on the y-axis, which is the quantity (muffins sold in the above example). X-axis: It tells us about the label on the x-axis, which is the time interval (days of week in the above example). Title: It tells us about the data for which the graph is drawn. They tend to be used when the focus of the chart is on the absolute values at each point in time, rather than on the trends of connected up and down patterns that a line chart portrays.The image shown above represents the components of a line graph. Alternativeīar charts can also be used to show how values look over time. Avoid jumping to conclusions if you see two lines following a similar pattern, it doesn’t necessarily mean that one thing has caused the other, it might just be coincidence. Be aware that the upwards and downwards trends on a line chart can seem more significant if the chart width is narrow, or less significant if it is stretched out. However, the y axis should start at zero if it has critical significance in the interpretation of the trends. Line charts don’t always need to start at zero, as they are used to show changes in one category rather than to compare the sizes of different categories. It might also be possible to see emerging patterns and to predict where the lines might go in the future. Follow the lines and see if there are any trends, sudden rises or falls, repeating patterns, or places where lines cross each other. Then examine the chart to see the values of the points in the lines.

#LINE GRAPH HOW TO#
How to read itįirst, look at the axes to understand what the chart is showing. A line chart might be used to show the monthly (x axis) average temperatures (y axis) for several cities around the world (different coloured lines on the chart). However, several different groups may be plotted on the same chart, shown with different lines. Sometimes only one set of connected values is plotted, shown with a single line. Line charts are often used to show changes over time, with the x axis representing time. A line chart connects plotted points against horizontal and vertical scales, then uses lines to join the points together.
