Charts/relationship/Scatter Plot
Beginnerrelationship

Scatter Plot

Reveal correlations and patterns between two continuous variables.

Quick Facts

Complexity

beginner

Category

relationship

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Scatter Plot · Example Data

When to use a Scatter Plot

  • Exploring the relationship between two continuous variables
  • Identifying correlations (positive, negative, none)
  • Spotting clusters, outliers, and anomalies
  • Showing the distribution of data in two dimensions

About the Scatter Plot

A scatter plot places each observation as a point on a 2D plane, with one variable on each axis. The resulting pattern reveals the relationship between the variables: positive or negative correlation, clusters, outliers, and non-linear patterns.

Scatter plots are the primary tool for exploring bivariate relationships and are the foundation of regression analysis. Adding a trend line (linear or LOESS) helps make the relationship explicit.

Related Relationship Charts

Bubble Chart

Extend a scatter plot with a third variable encoded as bubble size.

Heatmap

Encode values as colors in a matrix to reveal patterns across two categorical dimensions.

Correlation Matrix

Display pairwise correlations between all variables in a dataset as a colored grid.