Scatterplot

A scatterplot plots each individual as a point, with the explanatory variable on the horizontal axis and the response variable on the vertical axis. You read it for direction (positive or negative), form (linear or curved), strength (tight or loose), and any outliers. For example, plotting hours studied against exam score for 30 students may show an upward, roughly linear cloud of points. When the pattern looks linear, a least-squares regression line can summarize it.