What is a Scatterplot?

A Scatterplot, also known as an XY plot, is a type of graph that uses dots or bubbles to show the relationship between two numerical variables.

Each bubble on the graph represents one data point, with its position on the graph and size of the bubble determined by its values on the x-axis and y-axis.

One value from the X-axis (independent variable - horizontal)
One value from the Y-axis (dependent variable - vertical)

TIP: We recommend you put the Topic you want to understand on the Y (vertical) axis, and use the X (horizontal) axis to find Topics that appear to be related.

Three different values are shown in a Scatterplot on the:

Horizontal (X) Axis
Vertical (Y) Axis
Bubble

Key Uses:

Spotting trends or patterns in data
Identifying Correlations — Whether two variables tend to move together
Finding Outliers — Data points that don't fit the pattern

Types of correlation you might see:

Positive — As x increases, y increases (dots slope upward)
Negative — As x increases, y decreases (dots slope downward)
No correlation — Dots are scattered randomly with no clear pattern