Which of the following best describes a scatterplot and its primary use in statistics?

• A. A scatterplot is a type of bar chart used to show the distribution of a single variable.
• B. A scatterplot is a table that summarizes the frequencies of categorical variables, helping us compare proportions.
• C. A scatterplot is a diagram that shows the steps in a statistical experiment.
• D. A scatterplot is a graph that displays pairs of numerical data as points on a coordinate plane, helping us visualize the relationship between two quantitative variables.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a scatterplot is a graphical tool used in statistics to display data points representing pairs of numerical values.
2. Recognize that each point on a scatterplot corresponds to one observation with two quantitative variables, plotted on the x-axis and y-axis respectively.
3. Know that the primary purpose of a scatterplot is to visualize the relationship or association between these two variables, such as identifying trends, patterns, or correlations.
4. Differentiate a scatterplot from other graphical representations: it is not a bar chart (which shows distributions of a single variable), not a frequency table (which summarizes categorical data), and not a diagram of experimental steps.
5. Conclude that the best description of a scatterplot is that it is a graph displaying pairs of numerical data points on a coordinate plane to help visualize relationships between two quantitative variables.