Scatter Plots
Plot pairs of values to see relationships.
Key idea
Plot pairs of values to see relationships.
In depth
A scatter plot shows pairs (x, y) to reveal relationships: direction (positive or negative), form (linear or curved), strength, and outliers. It should always be plotted before computing a correlation.
Worked example
Plotting hours studied against exam score typically shows a positive, roughly linear trend.
Real-world uses
- Checking whether study hours relate to exam scores
- Plotting house size against price
Common mistake
Reading association from a plot as proof of a cause.
How to learn this
- Read the key idea and say it in your own words.
- Work through the worked example, then try a similar problem.
- Use the interactive lesson’s visual and mini-quiz to check the pattern.
Frequently asked questions
What is Scatter Plots?
Plot pairs of values to see relationships. It is a topic at the intermediate level in Probability & Statistics.
Where is Scatter Plots used in real life?
Real-world examples: Checking whether study hours relate to exam scores; Plotting house size against price.
What should I learn before Scatter Plots?
Make sure you are comfortable with Skewness and Kurtosis, the previous topic in Probability & Statistics.
What is a common mistake with Scatter Plots?
Reading association from a plot as proof of a cause.
How can I practise Scatter Plots?
Open the interactive lesson, play with the visual, then answer the three-question mini-quiz. Getting two right marks the topic complete.
What comes after Scatter Plots?
Move on to Correlation next.
Related intermediate topics in Probability & Statistics
- Collecting Data and Sampling – Surveys, experiments and random sampling.
- Bias in Sampling – Systematic errors that make samples unrepresentative.
- Histograms – Bars showing frequency of numerical intervals.
- Dot Plots and Stem-and-Leaf Plots – Show the shape of small datasets.
- Mean – The arithmetic average.
- Median – The middle value of an ordered list.