International Foundation Program

Engineering and Physical Sciences

Skills for Sciences

2. Mathematical Skills – Drawing Graphs

Tutor: Dr Alifah Rahman

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CAN YOU DRAW A GRAPH FOR THIS EQUATION?

2
Collecting Data
 You can collect and present data using Tally Marks or Frequency Tables
 Give the frequency table a title.
 Label the columns
 Use tally marks to keep track of your data points during data collecting.
 Total up the tally marks to find the frequency

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Presenting Data
 Scientific Data may be presented in many different ways.
 Bar Chart - Pie Chart - Graphs (Lines or curves)

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Pictogram
 Pictograms (or pictographs) show the data as pictures. The pictures represent a number
of items.
 The Pictogram it must also have a Key, for it to make sense.
 Pictograms are not usually the best graph to use, because data can be more easily
represented in bar graphs.

Number of students who like chocolate chip cookies best

The key tells us ‘how many’ each

Key picture represents.
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Bar Chart
 A bar chart is a chart that uses either horizontal or vertical bars to show comparisons
among categories. One axis of the chart shows the specific categories (Country)
being compared, and the other axis represents a discrete value (Oil Reserves)

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Vertical Bar Chart
 Bar charts are used to compare. They are usually Vertical.
 The height of the bars tells us ‘How Many?’ ‘How much?’ ‘How often?’ or ‘How high, or low?’
title
Number of police officers in Crimeville, 1993 to 2001
y
vertical axis
(or, y axis)
scale
(must show
correct units
cm. ◦c, £ etc))
horizontal axis
(or, x axis)
labels x
Years

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Horizontal Bar Chart
 The bars can be Horizontal.

Number of students at Diversity college who are immigrants, by last

country of permanent residence

Last Country
of residence

www.statcan.gc.ca/edu/power-pouvoir/ch9/bargraph-diagrammeabarres/5214818-eng.htm

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Single Bar Chart
 ‘Single bar’ charts compare data in one set, to look for patterns.

Number of police officers in Crimeville, 1993 to 2001

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/edu/power-pouvoir/ch9/bargraph-diagrammeabarres/5214818-eng.htm

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Dual Bar Chart
 Some bar charts compare two, or three sets of data.
 This is a dual bar chart. It compares 2 sets of data. This chart must have a Key. The key
identifies the bars.

Internet use at Redwood Secondary School, by gender, 1995 to 2002

Key

Year

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Pie Chart
 A pie chart (or a circle chart) is a circular statistical graphic which is divided into slices to
illustrate numerical proportion. In a pie chart, the arc length of each slice (and
consequently its central angle and area), is proportional to the quantity it represents.

 So in a % Pie Chart, every 1% equates to 3.6 degrees. (360/100)

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Pie Chart
 Pie Charts are used to show proportions, fractions and percentages in sets of data.
 The sectors describe the different parts of the data.

Music preferences in young adults 14 to 19

A pie chart must

also have a key.
This identifies the
Sectors sectors

http://www.statcan.ca/english/edu/power/ch9/piecharts/pie.htm

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Dual Pie Chart
 It is possible to use dual pie charts to compare data.

Smoking frequency of 15-year-olds on the

Parkview Secondary School track and field team

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Line Graphs
 Line graphs are used to show direction, or change in direction. They tell us what happens
over a period of time. This is called Trend.

Title Distance – Time graph

Scale

Plotted line

Labels

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/maths/data/representingdata2rev3.shtml

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Scatter Graphs
 Scatter graphs are used to se if there is a connection ( relationship) between 2 sets of
data.
 Like the line graph the axes must be evenly spaced, but the scales don’t have to be the
same on each axis.
 Like the line graph, you plot points on the grid, but you do not join the points.

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Conversion Graphs
 Conversion graphs make changing from one unit of measure to another easy.
 Example: In the below graph you can convert Kilometers to miles or vice versa.

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Summary – Charts and Graphs
 When you collect information in a survey, you record the data in a tally chart or frequency
table.

 Pictograms (or pictographs) show data as pictures. These charts show discrete data.

 Bar charts are used to compare data.

 Dual bar charts compare two sets of data.

 Pie Charts are used to show proportions, fractions and percentages in sets of data.

 Line graphs are used to show trends or changes. i.e. Is something increasing, decreasing
or static ( level, not going up or down) ? They are used for continuous data.

 Conversion graphs are used for changing units of measure from one system to another
e.g. £(pounds) to €(euros).

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Drawing Graphs
 Drawing accurate, and neat graphs is an essential skill required for Engineers.
 There are many key aspects to this, but the first thing is you must have the essential
equipment.
 Graph Paper
 Pencil (Sharp)
 Ruler ( Clear Plastic)
 Rubber

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Drawing Graphs - Axes
 All graphs have a horizontal axis called the
X axis, and a vertical axis called the Y axis.

 Where these two axes meet is called the

origin.

 The Y axis and the X axis should be labelled

with the Quantity and the Unit on the graph.

 A Velocity – Time graph would have Velocity

on the Y axis and Time on the X axis. So we
label:
 Y axis: Velocity (ms-1)
 X axis: Time (s)

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Drawing Graphs - Scales
 To make the graph as accurate as possible,
it should be as large as possible.

 It should cover, at least, two-thirds of the

graph paper.

 The Scale chosen for each axis should be:

 Consistent: Each square represents

same value.
 Sensible: Each square should be a
sensible value. E.g. 2, or 5, not 3.33
etc.
 Cover Range: If your values go from
120-150 your scale should cover 120-
150, not 0-200.

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Drawing Graphs – Plotting Points
 All points should be plotted accurately, with
a Pencil, in case of mistakes.

 Points should be plotted as a small

horizontal and vertical cross (+) or a filled
circle.

 All points must be plotted.

 Once plotted the points will either show a

straight line or a curve.

 DO NOT JOIN THE POINTS TOGETHER!

 Draw a line of best fit.

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Drawing Graphs – Best-fit Line

YES NO

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Drawing Graphs
1. Draw your
Time (s) Temperature axes. Use the
change (oC) whole page.
x

10
0 2
30 4 2. Add in little
evenly spaced

8
60 6 5. Plot you
ticks along x
90 7 both axes points. Use
little x’s x

6
120 10 Temperature
change (oC)
x
4
6. Draw a line of
best fit. Either
straight line with a
x
2

3. Label each ruler or a smooth

axes with unit curve.
0

4. Number 0 20 40 60 80 100 120

your axes. Go
Time (s)
up in 1, 2, 5,
10, 20 or 50 23
Drawing Graphs
1. Draw your axes.
Use the whole
page.

x x x
x
x
6. Draw a line
x of best fit.
Either
x straight line
with a ruler
5. Plot you
or a smooth
x points. Use
curve.
little x’s
x
2. Add in little
evenly spaced
ticks along
both axes
3. Label each 4. Number your axes. Go
axes with unit up in 1, 2, 5, or 10, etc 24
Drawing Graphs - Examples

Draw the following graphs.

1. Velocity – Time Graph 2. Displacement – Time Graph

Y axis Velocity (ms-1) X axis Time (s) Y axis Displacement (m) X axis Time (s)
2.9 1.0
0.0 0.0
5.0 2.0
2.9 1.0
7.1 3.0
9.0 4.0 12.1 2.0
10.9 5.0 27.2 3.0
13.1 6.0 48.0 4.0
74.8 5.0
108.3 6.0
146.5 7.0
191.6 8.0
243.5 9.0
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Drawing Graphs - Examples
Velocity - Time graph Displacement - Time graph
14 300
12 250
10

Displacement (m)
200
Velocity (m/s)

8
150
6
100
4
2 50

0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Time (s) Time (s)

Velocity - Time Graph Displacement - Time graph

14
300
12
250
10

Displacement (m)
200
Displacement (m)

8
150
6
100
4
50
2
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
0
1 2 3 4 5 6
Time (s)
Time (s)
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Drawing Graphs - Examples

Draw the following graphs.

300 14

250 12

10
200
Displacement (m)

Velocity (m/s)
8
150
6
100
4

50 2

0 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Time (s)

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Drawing Graphs - Examples

Car colour Number of cars Time (minutes) Distance (m)

Red 15 0 0
Black 19 15 12
Silver 10 30 24
Yellow 1 45 35
Blue 6 60 49

Time Temperature Voltage Current 1 Current 1 Average

(sec) (oC) (Volts) (Amps) (Amps) Current (A)

0 45 0 0.01 0.00
2.25 0.08 0.06
45 20
4.10 0.15 0.14
90 5
5.98 0.21 0.19
135 2
8.03 0.25 0.23
180 1
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Drawing Graphs – Marking Criteria

Criteria 1 Criteria 2 Criteria 3 Max

Mark
Graph plotted with Graph plotted with Graph plotted 3
appropriately appropriately with
scaled axes OR scaled axes AND appropriately
plotted 50% of plotted 50% of scaled axes
points accurately points accurately AND plotted
to within ½ small to within ½ small 100% of points
square. square. accurately to
within ½ small
square.

Graph given an Graph given an 2

appropriate title appropriate title
OR axes correctly AND axes
labelled including correctly labelled
units. including units.

Appropriate line of 1
best fit drawn

6 marks. 40 available. i.e. 15% of marks.

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Drawing Graphs – Marking Criteria

Criteria 1 Criteria 2 Criteria 3 Max

Mark
Graph plotted with Graph plotted with Graph plotted 3
appropriately appropriately with
scaled axes OR scaled axes AND appropriately
plotted 50% of plotted 50% of scaled axes
points accurately points accurately AND plotted
to within ½ small to within ½ small 100% of points
square. square. accurately to
within ½ small
square.

Graph given an Graph given an 2

appropriate title appropriate title
OR axes correctly AND axes
labelled including correctly labelled
units. including units.

Appropriate line of 1
best fit drawn

6 marks. 40 available. i.e. 15% of marks.

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Drawing Graphs – Digital

https://plot.ly/create/

https://www.desmos.com/calculator

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 CAN YOU DRAW A GRAPH FOR THIS EQUATION?

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0shhLd_JrhA&feature=youtu.be