What type of data can line graphs display?How do you determine a line of best fit or the slope of a graph?Why are line graphs powerful tools in science?

Because of their visual nature, graphs can reveal patterns or trends that words and data tables cannot.

Scientists commonly use bar graphs, circle graphs, and line graphs.

Line graphs are used to display data to show how one variable changes in response to another variable. In this experiment, the responding variable is the time it takes for the water to boil. The manipulated variable is the volume of water in the pot.

Open your textbooks to page 37, and let’s look at the 6 steps of plotting a line graph.

①Draw the axes.②Label the axes.③Create a scale.④Plot the data.⑤Draw a line of best fit.⑥Add a title.

(horizontal axis = x-axis = independent variable, vertical axis = y-axis = dependent variable)

(focus on general pattern, not connecting dots)

(include both independent and dependent variables)

A line of best fit emphasizes the overall trend shown by all the data taken as a whole.

Line graphs are powerful tools in science because they allow you to identify trends and make predictions.

This graph’s data forms a straight line, so it is linear.

Not all line graphs will have data that fall on a straight line.

This graph is nonlinear.

Even nonlinear graphs with no recognizable pattern provides useful information to scientists….

It most likely means that there is no relationship between the two variables.