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Interpret Graphs of a Coordinate System
> ... Math > Introduction to Graphs > Interpret Graphs of a Coordinate System

Once you understand how to read and plot points on a coordinate system, you have the tools to start interpreting data. Data is used in every industry when making decisions. It is very important for us to know how to understand data. The following videos demonstrate interpreting data from a graph.

Interpreting Information on a Graph

Video Source (03:52 mins) | Transcript

Interpreting a Graph (Average Temperatures)

Video Source (04:22 mins) | Transcript

Pay attention to the axis labels. These are the labels on the x- and y-axis. They tell you what the data means and the units the data is using.

Practice Problems

Use the following graph to answer questions 1 through 5.
This is a graph that shows information about various spices for sale at a market. The x axis is labeled from zero to eight which represents the amount per container in ounces and the y axis is labeled from zero to 10 which represents the price per container in dollars. The points on the graph are Thyme at (0.25, 3), Oregano at (0.75, 5), Sage at (0.5, 8), Nutmeg at (1.25, 9), Cinnamon at (2.25, 3), Salt at (5, 0.75), Garlic Salt at (5.5, 7.5), and Black Pepper at (7.5, 8).This graph shows information about various bottles of spices for sale at a market. The x-axis gives the amount of the spice in the container (in ounces) and the y-axis gives the price of the container.
  1. Which of these spices comes in a container with the lowest number of ounces? (
    Solution
    x
    Solution: Thyme
    Details:
    We are comparing how many ounces are in each container, so we need to look at the corresponding measurements on the x-axis.
    This graph shows a variety of spices. The x-axis has the number of ounces per container and the y-axis has the price per container. There is a dashed vertical line going through each point to help approximate the number of ounces corresponding to that spice.

    We can approximate how many ounces by looking at the x-value for each spice. As you can see the Thyme has the lowest number of ounces.
    )
    1. Thyme
    2. Salt
    3. Sage
    4. Black Pepper
    5. Nutmeg
  2. Which of the spices has the highest price per container? (
    Solution
    x
    Solution:
    Nutmeg
    )
    1. Thyme
    2. Salt
    3. Sage
    4. Black Pepper
    5. Nutmeg
  3. Which spice is shown at the point (\(0.75, 5\))? (
    Solution
    x
    Solution:
    Oregano
    )
    1. Salt
    2. Oregano
    3. Black Pepper
    4. Cinnamon
  4. What is the price of a container of garlic salt at this market (in dollars)? (
    Solution
    x
    Solution:
    About \($7.50\)
    Details:
    Since we are trying to find the cost of garlic salt, we need to find out the corresponding y-value. It helps to draw a horizontal line through the point representing garlic salt on the graph to estimate the cost per container.
    A graph with points representing the number of ounces and the price per container for various spices. There is a horizontal dashed line going through the point that represents Garlic Salt. This line intersects the y axis at about $7.50.

    The dashed line crosses the y-axis at about \($7.50\), so we can estimate that this is the cost of the container of Garlic Salt.
    )
  5. How many ounces are there in the container of cinnamon sold at this market? (
    Solution
    x
    Solution:
    About \(2.25\)
    )

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