Graphing Activities

These sheets were adapted from a lab created by Mr. Buckley from Edward Knox High School. Credit is given for this
original activity to Mr. Buckley. Available at http://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/~sfazio100/Graphing%20Activities.doc

Introduction
It is very important to realise why scientists use graphs to show their data. Most people use graphs to
show what the data “looks like” and this generally make data very easy to understand. Bar graphs,
column graphs, and pie graphs are very useful for doing this. These sort of graphs are really just a
picture of the data and a lot of people like them because they do actually make the data easy to
understand. However, generally speaking, scientists don’t use these types of graphs – because scientists
expect you to read the data in tables and not need a pie graph or bar graph to see the patterns.

The main type of graph used by scientists is officially called a scatter graph with a trend line, but
commonly called a trend line graph. You can easily a scatter graph because the data is shown as a series
of dots or crosses. See the example of the right – this is a scatter graph without a trend line.

The scatter graph allows scientists to draw a trend line – a line which represents the pattern shown by
the data. The example below is the same graph but with a trend line shown. A trend line is either a
straight or a curved line drawn that most accurately
describes the
trend in the
scatter
graph. The
trend line is very important to scientists. Scientists use the
trend line to make predictions and explanations. The trend
line is really a mathematical relationship between the
variable on the X axis and the variable on the Y axis –
and it is this mathematical relationship that scientists
determine by drawing and analysing a trend line graph.

A trend line graph must be carefully constructed to

accurately depict the data collected. An incorrect or poorly constructed graph often leads to the
acceptance of an incorrect relationship or detract from the acceptance of a correct relationship.

The graph should contain 5 major parts: the title, the independent variable, the dependent variable,
the scale for each variable, a trend line, and a legend (if there is more than one set of data/line).

1.) The title: this shows what the graph is about. Reading the title should give the reader
an idea about the graph. It should be a concise statement placed above the graph.

2.) The Independent Variable: this is the variable in the experiment that has been deliberately
changed by you (the variable you are investigating). This variable should be placed on the
horizontal or x-axis.

3.) The Dependent Variable: this is the variable in the experiment measured by you. It is the result of
what happens because of the independent variable is changed. This variable is placed on the y or
vertical axis.
4.) The Scales for each axis: The scale is the hardest part of doing a graph. Each step I n the scale
should have a consistent amount or increment - multiples of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 etc. are easy to use
while multiples of 1.2, 3, or 15 are harder to use Your scale must be plotted on the amounof graph
space available, and will be dictated by the data points. Trial and error is often used to make a scale.

5.) The Legend: When more than one set of data is plotted on a graph (that is there is more than one
trend line) a legend or Key should tell the reader which data is which.

6.) The Trend Line: This is a line drawn by you to accurately describe the trend in the data. It must be
either a straight line or a smooth curve. It does not have to go through all, or in fact any of the data
points – but must be an accurate representation of the trend (pattern) you see in the data points.
 Graphing Activity # 1

Use the data in the table below to complete the graph provided. Remember to title your graph
and label the axes properly when setting up your scale.

Introduction - When plants are

underwater they still photosynthesise
using sunlight. This means plants
underwater release bubbles of

Bu
bbl
es
of
Ox
yge
n
(pe
r
min
)

Oxygen gas from their leaves. The

relative number of bubbles of oxygen
gas released indicates the amount of
photosynthesis a plant does and is Depth (metres)
an indirect guide to the amount of
sunlight a plant receives.

Table 1: Water depth and plant photosynthesis

Number of
Depth in
bubbles/min
meters
Plant A
2 45
5 36
10 32
16 29
25 18
30 13

Draw a trend line on the graph – Is it straight or curved?

Answer the following questions based on the graph above you just completed.
1. What is the independent variable? ___________________________________________
2. What is the dependent variable? ____________________________________________
3. What is the Number of bubbles per min you might expect from a plant at:
a) 20 m depth _________ b) 12 m depth _________

ANALYSIS (practice at writing an analysis)

4. Write a statement describing a trend you see in the data (one sentence, use the names of the two
variables).
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
 Quote some data and explain how it is evidence for your statement above (refer to either the
table or the graph)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Write a statement describing the amount of error you see in the data (one sentence, use the
terms very little, insignificant, significant, considerable, excessive).
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Explain why you believe there is this amount of error in the data (choose from these error
techniques…does the data make sense? is it close to a correct value? are the points close to the trend line?).
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

CONCLUSION (practice writing a conclusion)

5. Write a statement (this is your conclusion) about what this graph or trend tells you (one
sentence).
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Elaborate or explain the conclusion above (1 or 2 sentences)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Either explain how your conclusion agrees or disagrees with scientific theory, or use the
scientific theory to explain the trend (check the theory statement at the start)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Write a statement describing the amount of error you see in the data (one sentence, use the
terms very little, insignificant, significant, considerable, excessive).
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Explain how this error may have occurred and make a recommendation to stop this error.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
 Graphing Activity # 2

Use the data in the table below to complete the graph provided. Remember to title your
graph, label the axes properly when setting up your scale, and make a key.

The history of a tree can be deduced from looking a tree rings. Tree rings are the circular
patterns in a trunk cutting. The thicker the tree ring the faster the tree grew during that period
of time. A very dark tree ring can mean a bushfire. A very narrow ring means the tree did not
grow significantly during that period of time and can indicate poor conditions for growth (eq.
drought)

Average Average
Age of thickness of thickness of
the tree the annual the annual
in years rings in cm. rings in cm.
Forest A Forest B
10 2.0 2.2
20 2.2 2.5
30 3.5 3.6
40 3.0 3.8
50 4.5 4.0
60 4.7 4.5

Draw a trend lines on the graph –

straight or curved?

Answer the following questions based

on the graph above you just
completed.

1. What is the independent

variable? ____________________
2. What is the dependent variable?
____________________________
ANALYSIS (practice at writing an
analysis)
6. Write a statement describing a trend you see in the data (one sentence, use the names of the two
variables. There is more than one trend in the data – pick one).
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
 Quote some data and explain how it is evidence for your statement above (refer to either the
table or the graph)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Write a statement describing the amount of error you see in the data (one sentence, use the
terms very little, insignificant, significant, considerable, excessive).
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Explain why you believe there is this amount of error in the data (choose from these error
techniques…does the data make sense? is it close to a correct value? are the points close to the trend line?).
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

CONCLUSION (practice writing a conclusion)

7. Write a statement (this is your conclusion) about what this graph or trend tells you (one sentence.
There is more than one conclusion here, pick one).
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Elaborate or explain the conclusion above (1 or 2 sentences)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Either explain how your conclusion agrees or disagrees with scientific theory, or use the
scientific theory to explain the trend (check the theory statement at the start)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Write a statement describing the amount of error you see in the data (one sentence, use the
terms very little, insignificant, significant, considerable, excessive).
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Explain how this error may have occurred and make a recommendation to stop this error.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
 Graphing Activities Homework
Graphing Practice # 3

Ethylene is a plant hormone that Golden

Concentration Wine sap Gala
causes fruit to mature. Farmers spray Apples:
of Apples: Apples:
diluted ethylene on their fruit to ripen Days to
ethylene in Days to Days to
the fruit. Maturit
ml/L Maturity Maturity
y
The data in the table concerns the
amount of time it takes for different 10 14 14 15
apples to ripen by spraying a field of 15 12 12 13
trees. The time is from the date of the
first application of ethylene. 20 11 9 10
25 10 7 9
Make a line graph of the data. 30 8 7 8
Make a key for the different kinds of apples 35 8 7 7
being graphed.

Draw a trend line for each type of apple?

What is the dependent variable?

__________________________________________

What is the independent variable?

__________________________________________

Describe two trends you can see in the data.

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Write two conclusions (one for each of the trends you observed in the data)

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________