In this section, you will practice creating a scatterplot, and then using that scatterplot to analyze a relationship that exhibits no trend.

This activity might not be viewable on your mobile device. Interactive exercise. Assistance may be required.

Use the ScatterPlot grapher by clicking the image below. The grapher will open in a new tab or window..

screen shot from the Shodor interactive scatterplot grapher

Click for additional directions on how to use the grapher.

Close Pop Up
  1. The table below contains data from the 2011 National Football League (NFL) season about the number of sacks experienced by different NFL team quarterbacks and the population of the city where the team is located.

    City

    Number of Quarterback Sacks
    (2011 Season)

    Population
    (thousands, 2011)

    Green Bay

    36

    104

    New Orleans

    24

    344

    New England (Boston)

    32

    625

    Dallas

    36

    1223

    Detroit

    36

    707

    Houston

    16

    2145

    Atlanta

    26

    432

    San Francisco

    44

    813

    Pittsburg

    40

    306

    San Diego

    30

    1326

    Miami

    36

    409

    Chicago

    23

    2707

    Philadelphia

    23

    1536

    Carolina (Charlotte)

    35

    751

    Tennessee (Nashville)

    19

    610

    Arizona (Phoenix)

    30

    1469

    Baltimore

    31

    619

    Oakland

    17

    396

    Cincinnati

    24

    297

    Seattle

    42

    621

    Buffalo

    22

    261

    Denver

    10

    620

    Kansas City

    22

    608

    Tampa Bay (Tampa)

    29

    336

    Cleveland

    32

    394

    Denver

    33

    620

    Washington, DC

    25

    618

    St. Louis

    36

    319

    Minnesota (Minneapolis)

    30

    388

    Arizona (Phoenix)

    23

    1469

    Indianapolis

    16

    828

    Jacksonville

    40

    828


  2. Click to see a popup table. From the table in the popup, copy the data from the Number of Quarterback Sacks (2011 Season) column and Population (thousands, 2011)  column. Paste the data into the Data box of the grapher.

    Number of Quarterback Sacks (2011 Season)

    Population (thousands, 2011)

    36

    104

    24

    344

    32

    625

    36

    1223

    36

    707

    16

    2145

    26

    432

    44

    813

    40

    306

    30

    1326

    36

    409

    23

    2707

    23

    1536

    35

    751

    19

    610

    30

    1469

    31

    619

    17

    396

    24

    297

    42

    621

    22

    261

    10

    620

    22

    608

    29

    336

    32

    394

    33

    620

    25

    618

    36

    319

    30

    388

    23

    1469

    16

    828

    40

    828

    Close Pop Up
  3. In the grapher, use the radio buttons to turn on the light grid lines and change the plot type to Scatter.

    Image showing Light Grid Lines radio button and Scatter radio button selected
  4. Click the Plot/Update button to generate a scatterplot. Use the scatterplot to answer the questions below.

    Interactive popup. Assistance may be required.

    See a sample graph

    Close Pop Up