Line Graphs

General Graphing Rules

First things first!Use a sharp pencil.However you may use a pen to draw the axes.

Graphing RulesThe following are some rules for drawing line graphs.

The acronym T.A.I.L.S. can be used as a memory aide to help you check your graph for completeness and accuracy.

What does TAILS Mean?T – TitleA – AxisI – Intervals/IncrementsL – LinesS – Scale/Size

TitleCan be any statement that describes the subject of the graph

Title must include the “Y-axis vs X-axis” (dependent variable vs independent variable)

AxisLabel the axes (the label must include appropriate units)

Label the dependent variable on the y-axis

Label the independent variable on the x-axis

Intervals/IncrementsThe divisions on each axis must be evenly spaced

LinesThere are four types of lines:Line of best fit – these lines follow the trend of the data points plotted.Straight lineSmooth curve

Point-to-PointScatter-plot

Scale/SizeThe graph data points must fill the graph area.

Key/LegendInclude a key or some way to identify lines and data points where necessary, especially when there is more than one line on a graph.