1. A scatter plot accurately represents the relationship between two continuous variables.
2. You will want a column plot, as each day is an independent category.
3. "Group" is a categorical variable. Use a column plot.
4. Light intensity and time are continuous variables. Use a scatter plot.
5. A scatter plot is appropriate here, as both time and cell concentration are continuous variables.
6. One is tempted to use a line plot here because temperature is a parametric variable, set up in discrete categories. However, the intervals between 25, 30, and 37 degrees are not equal, and multiple factors might influence growth of a culture at a given temperature. Temperature should be treated here as a categorical variable – use a column plot.
7. As hinted by the wording of the question, the readers would benefit from use of a pie chart. Sometimes an "exotic" plot type is appropriate. We just don't use them in science very often.
Here are data for a titration curve, in which a solution of a strong alkaline molecule was added in volume increments to a volume of strong acid.
| vol. alkalai (ml) | 0.0 | 3.0 | 12.0 | 16.0 | 20.0 | 21.0 | 22.0 | 23.0 | 24.0 | 24.5 | 25.5 | 26.0 | 27.0 | 28.0 | 30.0 | 32.0 | 34.0 | 38.0 |
| pH | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 3.9 | 10.3 | 11.9 | 12.6 | 12.8 | 13.0 | 13.3 | 13.5 | 13.5 |
Copy and paste the data into your graphics program and plot these data, using the recommended plot type and (for now) the computer defaults. When you have generated your graph, go on to the next page.