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
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