How to Make Scatter Plot examples in Google sheets

If you want to collect and observe data, then a Scatter plot in Google sheets is a good choice. It will help you better analyze the observational data. With just a few clicks on the Google sheets chart system and little to no about statics, you will be able to create scatter plots, scatter charts and scatter diagrams for your data. If you don’t know what I am talking about, you must have forgotten the lessons of stats from high school. Well, you are in the right place if it is so, as, in this post, we will talk about the basics of scatter plot charts, with some examples in Google sheets.

What is a Scatter Plot Chart?

A scatter plot chart is a plot of points at the intersecting coordinates of your data. In mathematical terms, it is just a bunch of X and Y points on a piece of graph paper, and that is why it is called a graph.

A Scatter plot chart helps in visualizing data between two or more sets. Scatter plots are very helpful when you want to identify your initial sample’s correlation, potential outliers, and subsets.

What kind of data is good for a Scatter Plot?

The best kind of data for scatter plot is two sets of numerical data that you believe may correlate with. You do not want categorical things like names or a big group of data to be your X and y-axis. Here is the best example for a Scatter plot chart:

The temperature in an area is directly in correlation to coffee sales in the area.

Temperature can be measured in number.
Coffee sales can also be measured in number.
There is a relation between how or cold the weather is and how it will affect the sale of hot beverage coffee.

Tips to prepare a Scatter Plot

You can easily construct the scatter plot chart by marking all the X and Y coordinates in your data set.

Why use Google Sheets to make a Scatter Plot?

The data from the real world will be in hundreds and thousands, and it is impossible to make a correlation using hands. It will be just a waste of time and energy, and the result will also not be accurate, so using a spreadsheet is better and much easier than graph paper and pencil. Google sheet will do wonders, and it is way easier and much more convenient to use. You must be thinking, why only Google sheets? Here is why:

It is cloud software, so you do not have to update or install anything.
It is free, so you don’t have to pay anything.
If you have Gmail, you have sheets, so most people don’t even need to sign up for anything.
It is a cloud-native first, which means that storing and sharing are built inside the app itself.

How to tell whether the Scatter plot is negative or positive?

The positive or negative correlation refers to the correlation between data sets. If there is a correlation between the data, then it is positive; if not, it is a negative correlation. Here is a brief:

Positive correlation:

Positive correlation means that as one value goes up, the other will also go up in the scatter chart. Remember the example mentioned above; the colder it is, the more coffee sales will be. It is a perfect example of a positive correlation. In a scatter plot, a positive correlation means the graph goes from lower left to upper right. You can also see a positive correlation from a positive slope to your trend line.

Often people get fooled by graphs with an inverted X-axis or negative X values, so make sure that you learn the definition of a Scatter plot chart and not the visual rule of thumb.

Negative correlation:

The negative correlation happens when the value of X and Y do not increase to the upper right direction. Now, let’s talk about the coffee example once again; if the temperature increases, it will increase heat, and thus the sale of coffee will decrease, thus forming a negative correlation. The negative correlation will lead the graph to go from upper left to lower right in the scatter plot chart.

NOTE: One value goes up in negative correlation, whereas the other value goes down.

Tips for using error bars in Scatter Plot

The error bar is a very useful tool in scatter plot charts for demonstrating how reliable or on-trend a given data point. In the case of cost for retail space in our example, this can help the prospective buyer avoid any over-priced spots. Here is how you can add error bars to the scatter plot chart:

Open the chart editor of your scatter plot by clicking on the three-dot icons located on the top right corner of the graph.
Select the edit chart option.
Click on “Customize tab” and check the box next to “error bars” to add the feature to your chart.
The scatter plot graph will now feature error bars for each point representing how close they are to the trend line.

By following all these steps, you will easily create an amazing error bar in the scatter plot chart.

Conclusion:

The Scatter plot does an excellent job in showcasing data clusters that are off-trend. By following all the steps mentioned above, you will be creating enhancing scatter plot graphs in Google Sheets in no time. However, it is also important to keep in mind that scatter plots won’t work for all the datasets. So, if you see something like a flat trend line or massive error bars, it means that data does not follow a trend. Google sheets app will help in comparing the two sets of data very easily.

So, what are you waiting for? Use Google sheets today for making scatter plot charts today and for easy comparison of two sets of data. Good Luck!