Line Plot
A line plot is a graph that displays data with the help of symbols above a number line showing the frequency of each value. It is used to organize the data in a simple way and is very easy to interpret. Let us learn everything about line plots in this article.
| 1. | Line Plot Definition |
| 2. | Line Plot Graph |
| 3. | Line Plot with Fractions |
| 4. | FAQs on Line Plot |
Line Plot Definition
A line plot is a graphical representation of data on a number line using dots, crosses, or any other symbol. Each mark represents a specific quantity which is the scale of the graph. The categories of the data are represented on the number line followed by drawing marks or symbols to denote the variables over each category. For example, if 6 children are participating in a dance competition and 4 are participating in the singing competition, then 'dancing' and 'singing' will be represented on the number line. 6 dots will be drawn over dancing and 4 dots will be drawn over singing, where each dot will represent one child. It is known as a line plot graph. Let us learn more about a line plot graph in the next section.
Line Plot Graph
A line plot graph is a way to graphically represent the data on a number line using symbols. It is different from a line graph as here we do not use a cartesian plane or x and y-axis for data representation. A line plot graph is drawn simply on a number line. For example, in a survey of the favorite sport with 12 children, it is found that 5 children like cricket, 3 like football, 1 like volleyball, and 3 children like badminton. This data can be represented in a line plot graph in the following manner:
The number line displays the name of sports and the "x" mark represents the number of children. Let us now understand how to make a line plot with the given data.
How to Make a Line Plot?
A line plot is a convenient way to represent the data graphically. To make a line plot, follow the steps given below:
- Step 1: Identify the categories of the data. In the above example, there were 4 categories on which the data was collected, i.e. Cricket, Football, Volleyball, and Badminton.
- Step 2: Count the frequency of each category and represent it using any symbol of your choice. For example, if 5 children like Cricket, we draw 5 symbols ('x') above Cricket. However, it is important to use only one type of symbol throughout the graph. For an instance, we do not use a dot and a cross sign together in one line plot showing the same thing.
- Step 3: Mention label and scale. The label is what we write below the categories on the number line. For example, in the above graph, "Favorite Sport" is the label. The scale is the unit or number that each symbol is representing. In the above graph, the scale is "1 x = 1 child".
However, when we use 1 unit as a scale, at many places you may find that scale is not used. So, when the scale is not mentioned, we consider it as 1 unit. Let us now understand how to analyze or read a line plot graph.
Reading a Line Plot
To read a line plot, we first need to identify the scale or units that each symbol represents. If nothing is mentioned, we consider it as 1 unit. Then we count the symbols used over each category on the number line. Multiply the number of symbols with the scale to get the frequency of each category. This is how we read a line plot.
Line Plot with Fractions
A line plot with fractions is made in the same way as for other numbers or variables. In this, we represent the fractional values on the number line, and their frequencies or the number of times they are occurring in the data set above each fraction. Look at an example of a line plot with fractions given below showing the number of hours spent on reading books by 21 people in a library.
By reading this line plot, we can interpret that 3 people spent 3/4th hour in reading, 4 people spent 1 hour in reading, and so on.
| Number of hours Spent on Reading | Number of people |
|---|---|
| 3/4 | 3 |
| 1 | 4 |
| \(1\dfrac{1}{4}\) | 1 |
| \(1\dfrac{1}{2}\) | 4 |
| \(1\dfrac{3}{4}\) | 6 |
| 2 | 3 |
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Line Plot Examples
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Example 1: Observe the line plot graph given below, showing the number of bikes sold by XYZ manufacturers on 7 days of a week.
How many bikes did they sell on Friday and Saturday together?
Solution: In the given line plot, each dot is representing 10 bikes. It means 1 dot = 10 bikes.
Number of bikes sold on Friday = 6 × 10 = 60 bikes
Number of bikes sold on Saturday = 5 × 10 = 50 bikes
Total bikes sold on both days = 60 + 50 = 110 bikes
Therefore, 110 bikes were sold on Friday and Saturday.
FAQs on Line Plot
What is a Line Plot in Math?
In math, a line plot is a graphical representation of data, usually, a small data set. It is also known as a dot plot. In the line plot, data is represented on a number line using symbols for frequency.
What is a Line Plot Graph?
A line plot graph is the number line showing the frequency of each item using symbols. It is easy to draw and interpret a line plot graph as compared to other types of graphs like histogram, stem and leaf plot, etc.
How to Make a Line Plot?
To make a line plot we need to first identify the items or categories of data set. Draw a number line and mark all the categories keeping an equal distance between each of them. Then, we count the frequency of each item and choose a symbol for our plot, let's say dot, cross, or any other symbol. We draw the symbols for each category as per the scale. This is how we make a line plot.
What is a Line Plot with Fractions?
A line plot with fractions has the fractional values along with the integers on the number line. Many times while collecting data, we find responses in terms of fractions. So, a line plot with fractions represents such data on a number line.
What is an Outlier on a Line Plot?
An outlier is a value that is very different from the other values. It impacts the mean of the data as because of its presence the mean does not reflect the true average value. On a line plot, we can easily identify outliers by just a look. An outlier on a line plot is a value that is very far from the other values.
How to Read a Line Plot?
Reading a line plot is done by counting the number of symbols used over each item on the number line. If the scale is not 1 unit, then we multiply the number of symbols with the scale of the graph to get the frequency of each item.