Creating a Scatter Plot in Sheets

In this section, you will learn how to make a scatter plot in Sheets. You will work with the temperature data. Latitude will be the explanatory variable, and July mean temperature will be the explained variable.

How to make a scatter plot

First, copy over the city, state, latitude and July mean temperature columns from the weather data here into a new sheet.

A screenshot of a Sheet with the weather data's city, state, latitude, and July.

Afterwards, select the two columns containing the latitude and mean temperature data then click “Insert > Charts.”

A screenshot of how to insert a chart.

Then in the chart editor click “Setup > Chart type > Scatter.”

A scrrenshot of how to customize a chart to be a scatter chart.

Sometimes Sheets will correctly assign the columns to be either the explanatory variable or the explained variable, but it is always good to know how to manually assign them.

Go to “Chart Editor > X-axis > Edit ” to choose which column of data will be the explanatory variable.

A screenshot of how to choose the independent variable data.

Then put in the range of cells where you put the latitude data (the explanatory variable).

A screenshot of how to specify the cell range of the independent variable.

To choose which column of data will be the explained variable, you will go through a similar process. Go to “Chart Editor > Series > Edit.”

A screenshot of how to choose the dependent variable data.

Then put in the range of cells where you put the weather data (the explained variable).

A screenshot of how to specify the cell range of the dependent variable.

To add a title, go to “Chart Editor > Customize > Title.”

A screenshot of how to change a chart's title.

To choose the horizontal and vertical axis labels, go to “Chart Editor > Customize > Chart & axis title.”

A screenshot of how to change the axis titles.

Then select “Horizontal axis title” and “Vertical axis title” respectively to add a descriptive horizontal axis label and a descriptive vertical axis label.

A screenshot of how to change the horizontal axis title. A screenshot of how to change the vertical axis title.

You now have a scatter plot for latitude versus July mean temperature. Using the scatter plot, answer the questions below.

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