Students in lab coats discuss the findings in a report

Graphs: can you spot the mistakes?

Don’t be afraid to have a go - the quiz won’t count towards your overall course progress but should help you to better understand what goes in an Introduction section.

Quiz rules

  • Quizzes do not count towards your course score, they are just to help you learn
  • Select what you consider to be the correct answer to each question and click the "check my answers" button at the bottom of the page.
  • Feedback will appear below each question.
  • You may retake the quiz as many times as you wish to answer all the questions question correctly.

Question 1

Take a look at this graph. What error can you see?
A scatter graph showing the relationship between velocity and pressure. The y-axis is labelled with the unit Velocity (ms-1) and runs from 0 to 9. The x-axis is labelled with the unit Pressure Difference (Pa) running from 0 to 1,200. There are results of 5 experiments plotted on the graph, with each experiment's data points differentiated by symbols with different colours and shapes. A legend set out in appropriate space denotes which data point symbols relate to each experiment. There are no trend or grid lines on the graph. The data plotted on the graph ranges from 0.5ms-1 to 50Pa as the lowest value, to 8ms-1 to 910Pa as the highest value.
There are no units on the axes.
The scale on the horizontal axis is inappropriate.
Poor choice of line types.
The legend covers some data points.

Question 2

What's wrong with this graph?
A scatter plot showing the relationship between velocity and pressure. The y-axis is labelled with the unit Velocity (ms-1) and runs from 0 to 3.0. The x-axis is labelled with the unit Pressure Difference (Pa) running from 0 to 1,000. Three sets of data are reported on the plot, flow, model and linear fit to experiment. The legend shows that the data for flow is represented by a small black dot, the data for model is represented by two small black dots and the data for linear fit to experiment is also represented by two small black dots. A trend line, also using small black dots, shows the relationship between the results.
The fitted line is reported to wrong number of significant figures.
The scale on the Y axis is inappropriate.
Poor choice of line types.
Nothing, it's pretty good already.

Question 3

What's wrong with this graph? There is more than one right answer. Pick one.
A bar graph showing the results of flow measurements through four pipes. The entire figure is set out on a yellow background. The y-axis is clearly labelled with the unit flow in litres per minute and runs from 1 to 8. The x-axis is clearly labelled pipe number and shows results from pipes 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Distracting colour scheme.
Missing units on vertical axis.
Poor font choice.
Inappropriate scaling on Y axis.

Question 4

What's wrong with this graph? There is more than one right answer. Pick one.
A scatter graph showing the relationship between an experiment's first distance and second distance recorded. The y-axis is labelled second distance and runs from 0 to 12. The x-axis is labelled first distance in metres and runs from 0.00 to 5.00. There are five data points plotted on the graph with a clear appropriately sized symbol. A trend line runs steadily through the first two data points, with an exaggerated curve above the third data point, before running through the remaining points.
Missing units on vertical axis.
Line connecting points indicates unlikely trend.
Symbol chosen for data points is too large.
Unnecessary decimal places on horizontal axis.
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