Line Graph

Today’s world is becoming increasingly information-centric. Every aspect of our life makes use of data in some way. The tabular format is advantageous for presenting data in a systematic manner. When these numerical values are visually depicted in the form of a bar graph or a line graph, they become more obvious and intelligible, creating a lasting impression on the observer’s mind. In the next sections, we will examine line graphs in greater depth.

Line Graph

A line graph illustrates the changes that occurred during a certain time period. The horizontal axis is referred to as the x-axis, while the vertical axis is referred to as the y-axis. Typically, the x-axis represents a time period across which we need to quantify the quantity of a certain entity or item on the y-axis. A line graph enables you to determine whether the quantity on the y-axis is rising or decreasing over time. A line graph clearly illustrates an increasing or declining trend.

The Components of a Line Graph

A line graph is made up of two axes: a horizontal x-axis and a vertical y-axis. Because most line graphs only deal with positive numbers, these axes often meet towards the y-bottom axis and the x-left axis’s end. The intersection of the axes is always the same (0,0). Each axis is identified with the data type it represents. For instance, the x-axis may represent days, weeks, quarters, or years, while the y-axis could represent income in dollars. Plotting data points and connecting them with a line in a “dot-to-dot” method.

Let us first define the various components of a line graph:

• Title: The graph’s title informs us about the graph’s subject, i.e., the data represented by the graph.

• Labels: The horizontal axis running across the bottom and the vertical label running down the side indicate the type of data being shown.

• Scales: The horizontal scale running across the bottom and the vertical scale running down the side indicate the quantity or number.

• Points: On a graph, the points or dots represent the (x,y) coordinates or ordered pairs. A line graph may have many data lines. The horizontal axis represents the independent variable, while the y axis represents the dependent variable.

• Lines: Straight lines connecting the spots provide an approximation of their values.

The line graph is only effective for comparing data sets if the x and y axes have the same scales. The x-axis is also referred to as the independent axis, as its values are unrelated to anything else. For instance, time is always shown on the x-axis since it is always changing regardless of what else is happening. The y-axis is also referred to as the dependent axis due to the fact that its values are reliant on variables on the x-axis: during this period, the corporation had thus many sales. As a consequence, the straight line always travels horizontally and each x value has a unique y value. For instance, the business cannot have two distinct value sales concurrently.

Reading a Line Graph

Consider the methods below for reading and interpreting a line graph:

• Consider the title.

• Take note of the axes’ labelling.

• Examine developing patterns to have a better understanding of the trend.

• Examine the data values to obtain precise figures.

Example: Take a look at the line graph below. Let us read it and make a note of the most significant findings from the line graph.

• This graph depicts the daily hotdog sales for each day of the week.

• The line graph shows a rising slope, indicating that the sale of hot dogs has grown since Monday. On Thursday, there were 40 more hot dogs sold than on Monday. (Since 50 were sold on Thursday and 10 on Monday, the difference is 40.)

• Additionally, it is crucial to know that the deal is the same on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Plotting a Line Graph

To make a line graph, follow the instructions below:

• Construct a table: On a separate page, draw the x- and y-axes. At the top of the page, include a title that succinctly summarises the chart’s purpose.

• Label each axis: If time is an issue, it should be represented by the horizontal (x) axis. The remaining digits i.e., the dependent variables to be assessed, should be aligned vertically (y). Each axis should be labelled with the numeric system’s name and the units of measurement. For instance, you might label the x-axis with independent variables such as hours or months to indicate that each number on the axis represents the number of hours or months. Divide each axis into appropriate increments equally.

• Include data: A line graph’s data is often shown in a two-column table with columns corresponding to the x- and y-axes. Once you’ve entered your data, the values in your line graph will update automatically.

• Establish a key: If you’re comparing numerous objects, you’ll want to create a key that uses the colour of each line to indicate what it is.

Line Graph Advantages

The following are some of the benefits of using a line graph:

• It is helpful for illustrating changes and trends over time periods.

• It’s also beneficial to illustrate subtle changes that are difficult to quantify in other graphs.

• Line graphs are popular and successful charts because they are straightforward, simple to comprehend, and efficient.

• It is beneficial to highlight anomalies within and across data sets.

• Multiple lines may be plotted on the same axis for the sake of comparison.

Line Graph Disadvantages

The following are some drawbacks of utilising line graphs:

• Plotting an excessive number of lines across the graph makes it crowded and difficult to read.

• It’s difficult to plot a diverse set of data on a line graph.

• They are only appropriate for expressing data with numerical values and total numbers, such as monthly rainfall totals.

• If consistent scales are not utilised on the axis, the data in a line graph may seem erroneous.

• Additionally, a line graph is problematic when plotting fractions or decimal quantities.

Line Graph Applications

The line graph is extremely useful for tracking changes over both short and extended periods of time. Additionally, it is used to compare the changes in various groups during the same time period. When there are little changes, a line graph is preferred over a bar graph. For instance, a company’s finance department may wish to plot the changes in the quantity of cash on hand over time. They then use a line graph to plot the points along the horizontal and vertical axes. It is frequently used to denote the time period covered by the data.

Conclusion

A line graph is a specialised type of graph that is frequently used in statistics. It expresses a quantity’s change in relation to another quantity. For instance, the price of various chocolate flavours changes, which we can visualise using this graph. Typically, this variation is represented on the two-dimensional XY plane. If a graph can explain a relationship between any two metrics using a straight line, such graphs are termed linear graphs. As a result, the line graph is sometimes referred to as a linear graph.