Mathematics
Grade 6
15 min
Interpret line graphs
Interpret line graphs
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify the title, axes, and labels of a line graph.
Locate and read data points on a line graph to find specific values.
Describe trends (increasing, decreasing, constant) shown in a line graph.
Compare data values at different points in time using a line graph.
Answer questions by extracting and interpreting information from a line graph.
Make simple predictions or inferences based on the patterns observed in a line graph.
Ever wonder how meteorologists predict temperature changes or how a company tracks its sales over months? 📈 Line graphs help us see how things change over time!
In this lesson, you'll learn how to read and understand line graphs. We'll explore how to find specific information, identify patterns, and make sense of data tha...
2
Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Line GraphA graph that uses points connected by line segments to show how data changes over a continuous period of time.A graph showing the number of visitors to a park each hour from 9 AM to 5 PM.
X-axis (Horizontal Axis)The horizontal line at the bottom of the graph, usually representing time or categories that change.On a graph showing temperature, the x-axis might be labeled 'Hours of the Day' (e.g., 9 AM, 10 AM, 11 AM).
Y-axis (Vertical Axis)The vertical line on the left side of the graph, usually representing the quantity or value being measured.On a graph showing temperature, the y-axis might be labeled 'Temperature (°C)' (e.g., 0, 5, 10, 15).
Data PointA specific point on the graph that represents a pair of values (an x-value and its corre...
3
Core Formulas
Reading Data Points
To find the value of a specific point on the x-axis, locate that point, move vertically up (or down) to the line, and then horizontally across to the y-axis to read its corresponding value.
Use this rule to find exact measurements at specific times or categories shown on the graph.
Identifying Trends
Observe the direction of the line segments: If the line goes up from left to right, the data is increasing. If the line goes down from left to right, the data is decreasing. If the line is horizontal, the data is constant (not changing).
Apply this rule to understand the overall behavior or change in the data over time.
Comparing Data Values
To compare two data points, first read the y-value for each point using the 'Reading Data Points' rule....
5 more steps in this tutorial
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Challenging
The temperature at 10 AM was 18°C. This was a 20% increase from the temperature at 9 AM. Based on this information, what was the temperature at 9 AM?
A.15°C
B.14.4°C
C.16°C
D.21.6°C
Challenging
Imagine the temperature data from the tutorial was plotted on a new graph where the Y-axis scale interval was 10°C (0, 10, 20, 30) instead of 5°C. How would the visual steepness of the line segment from 9 AM to 12 PM change?
A.It would appear steeper.
B.It would appear less steep.
C.Its steepness would not change.
D.It would become a horizontal line.
Challenging
A second city's temperature is always 4°C colder than the city in the tutorial's graph. For this second city, what was the percentage increase in temperature from 9 AM to 11 AM?
A.About 45.5%
B.About 55.5%
C.About 63.6%
D.About 22.2%
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