In the context of Intro to Stats, what is the first step when creating a line plot?

• A. Plot the data points above their corresponding values.
• B. Draw the axes and label them with the variable names.
• C. Organize the data values in order and identify all unique values.
• D. Connect the data points with lines.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Start by organizing the data values in order, typically from smallest to largest. This helps in clearly identifying the distribution and makes it easier to plot.
2. Identify all unique values in the dataset. These unique values will serve as the positions on the horizontal axis (x-axis) where you will place the data points.
3. Draw the horizontal axis (x-axis) and vertical axis (y-axis) on your graph paper or plotting area. Label the axes with the variable names to provide context for the data.
4. For each unique data value, plot a dot or mark above it on the x-axis. The height of the dot corresponds to the frequency (count) of that value in the dataset.
5. Once all data points are plotted, you can optionally connect the dots with lines to visualize the distribution trend, but this is not the first step.