Creating Data Tables and Graphs. What is Data? Data is information Examples of data include: –The number of kilometers from Houston to Indianapolis –The.

Creating Data Tables and Graphs

What is Data?

• Data is information• Examples of data

include:– The number of kilometers

from Houston to Indianapolis

– The number of centimeters of rain that fall yearly in Texas

– The length in minutes of a Hannah Montana song

How is data used?

• Scientists use data all the time to:– Predict the weather– Aid in the recovery of patients in hospitals– Determine the dose of a chemical or radiation

that is harmful to the public

Complete Data Tables Contain:

• A descriptive title

• Variables describing what information has been collected

• Units telling how those variables were measured

• Data collected in ordered pairs

• All work done neatly

The Title

Time (minutes) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Temperature (°C) 20 21 23 27 35 45 61 69 71

Heating of Compound X

• The title of this data table is “The Heating of Compound X.”

• Without a title, it would be difficult for a person studying the table to figure out what all the numbers mean.

Variables and Units

Time (minutes) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Temperature (°C) 20 21 23 27 35 45 61 69 71

Heating of Compound X

• A variable describes what information you are recording.

• A unit tells how you are going to measure that variable.

What is the independent variable? What is the dependent variable?

The Data

Time (minutes) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Temperature (°C) 20 21 23 27 35 45 61 69 71

Heating of Compound X

• Data is organized in a data table.

• The numbers in the table are organized in ordered pairs.

• An ordered pair consists of an independent and dependent variable that correspond to one another.

Remember…Tiny Vicious Unicorns Drink Nectar

Title

Variables

Units

Data

Neatly

What is a graph?• A graph is a picture of information in a data table.• The following data table and graph are for the Heating of

Compound X.

Time (minutes) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Temperature (°C)

20 21 23 27 35 45 61 69 71

Heating of Compound X

Heating of Compound X

0

20

40

60

80

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Time (minutes)

Te

mp

era

ture

(d

eg

ree

s

C)

What do the table and graph have in common?

Everything! They contain the same title, variables, units, and data.

Time (minutes) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Temperature (°C)

20 21 23 27 35 45 61 69 71

Heating of Compound X

Heating of Compound X

0

20

40

60

80

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Time (minutes)

Te

mp

era

ture

(d

eg

ree

s

C)

Graphs

• The independent variable goes on the horizontal axis, or X-axis.

• The dependent variable goes on the vertical axis, or Y-axis.

0 1 2 3 4Time (minutes)

20

10Temp.(°C)

0

Intersection for ordered pair (1, 21)

What type of graph should I use?

• One of the most challenging parts of graphing data is to decide which type of graph is appropriate for the data.

• There are three main types of graphs that are often used for scientific data: pie charts, bar graphs, and line graphs.

Pie Charts

• Pie charts, or circle graphs, are used to display what part of a whole each variable is. Pie charts are ideal when showing fractions or percents.

Bar Graphs

• Bar graphs show how variables compare to one another.

• Bar graphs look at the differences between similar things.

Line Graphs

• Line graphs show how a variable changes, usually with time as the independent variable.

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

distance from detector (in)

Co

un

ts p

er m

inu

te (

cpm

)

What type of graph should I use?

Look at the following example and decide which type of graph will best fit the data.

How many pets does the average family have?

Answer: A Bar Graph

What type of graph should I use?

Look at the following examples and decide which type of graph will best fit the data.

What type of trash makes up the biggest portion of garbage?

Answer: A Pie Chart

What type of graph should I use?

Look at the following examples and decide which type of graph will best fit the data.

How much will the temperature of a turkey change when baking for twenty minutes?

Answer: A Line Graph

Game Time!

• Now it’s time to collect our own data and generate a graph.

• We will be measuring the number of seconds it takes to pass the beanbag ball from student to student. We will start with five students and continue adding five students until the whole class is passing the ball.

Organize the Data

Football Toss

Organize the Data

Number of Students Time (seconds)

5 2

10 4

15 8

20 9

Graph the Data

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Number of Students

Time

(seconds)

Let’s Review…

What is missing?

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

distance from detector (in)

Co

un

ts p

er m

inu

te (

cpm

)

What is missing?

Problem Areas

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Tran

smiss

ion

Fuel

syste

m

Misc

ellan

eous

Noisy

Driver

cont

rols

Other

elec

trica

l

Ignit

ion

Coolin

g sy

stem

Brakin

g

Emiss

ions

Steer

ing

What is missing?

Time (minutes)

Temperature (°C)