How_To_Be_Good_At_Math

Drawing line graphs

When we’ve plotted all the

temperatures, we use a

ruler to draw a straight line to

link each pair of crosses. We do

this between all the crosses on

the graph, so that they’re joined

in an unbroken line.

Let’s finish by giving our

graph a title, so that

anyone looking at it will know

immediately what it’s about.

Now we can plot the data

on our graph. Let’s take

each temperature in order and

find its position on the graph.

Now we plot the next

temperature, 8°C at 0900.

We move along the x axis to the

0900 marker and go up until

we’re level with 8 on the y axis.

Then we draw another cross.

The first temperature is 6°C

at 0800. We go up the y

axis from the 0800 marker on

the x axis until we get to 6. We

mark the position by drawing a

small cross with a pencil.

Our line shows how the

temperature rose during the

morning and then started

falling in the afternoon

Mark the point

where the line from

the 0900 marker

is level with 8°C

Points on a line

graph are usually

marked with

small crosses

A temperature

is plotted for

each hour

TEMPERATURE (°C)

18

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

TIME

0800 0900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600

Straight lines

link the crosses

A ruler helps to

make the lines

more accurate

A title tells you

what the graph

is showing

TEMPERATURE (°C)

Temperature during the day

18

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0

TIME

0800 0900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600

290_291_Drawing_line_graphs.indd 291 29/02/2016 18:06