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

• A. A scatterplot is a line graph that shows changes in a variable over time.
• B. A scatterplot is a graph that displays individual data points for two quantitative variables, helping us visually assess the relationship or correlation between them.
• C. A scatterplot is a table that summarizes the frequencies of categorical variables, helping us compare proportions.
• D. A scatterplot is a type of bar chart used to show the distribution of a single variable.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand what a scatterplot represents. A scatterplot is a graphical representation where each point corresponds to an observation with two quantitative variables plotted on the x-axis and y-axis.
2. Step 2: Recognize the purpose of a scatterplot. It is primarily used to visually assess the relationship or correlation between two quantitative variables, such as identifying patterns, trends, or clusters.
3. Step 3: Differentiate a scatterplot from other types of graphs. Unlike line graphs (which show changes over time), bar charts (which show distributions of a single variable), or frequency tables (which summarize categorical data), scatterplots focus on pairs of numerical data points.
4. Step 4: Recall that scatterplots help in identifying the direction (positive, negative, or no correlation) and strength of the relationship between variables, which is essential in many statistical analyses.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the best description of a scatterplot is that it is a graph displaying individual data points for two quantitative variables, helping us visually assess their relationship or correlation.