Scatter Graphs

Programme Outline

Katie and Jamie are enjoying an ice cream but it's all for a good cause. Could the number of ice creams sold be related to the temperature outside? They explain how this question could be answered by collecting data, plotting a scatter graph and looking for a correlation.

Jamie and Katie are in London to investigate the effects of learning 'the knowledge' on the brains of black cab drivers. Research has shown a connection between time spent as a cabbie and neurological growth, and the presenters explain how scatter graphs were used to establish a positive correlation.

Katie looks in detail at how to construct a line of best fit and offers some tips for deciding where to place it.

Sports scientists at Lilleshall's Human Performance Centre have established a negative correlation that allows marathon runners to predict their running time based on their fitness level. It's time to see just how fit our presenters are! Jamie and Katie are put through their paces on treadmills so that their oxygen uptake (VO₂ Max) can be measured.

Jamie has the scatter graph of marathon runners' times and their VO₂ Max results. He describes the negative correlation and adds a line of best fit. We can now see how fast the presenters could be expected to complete a real marathon by plotting their VO₂ Max results.

In this week's 'Tick or Trash', Jamie and Katie are required to place a line of best fit on a scatter diagram. Jamie has made a common error in drawing his line and this is discussed.

Jamie tries to get to the bottom of what causes acne. Scientists at the Skin Research Centre in Leeds thought that the number of spots and the number of bacteria on the skin could be related. They collected the necessary data and Jamie views their results. He shows how the scatter graphs, surprisingly perhaps, show no correlation and discusses the implications of this finding.