Guidelines for Graphing
The Proper Way to Graph Data Points
Mark the data points with a small dot.
(Pencil may be used before being inked for permanency.)
Draw a small circle around the point or darken to make more visible.
A smooth curve should be drawn through the points. The curve
should pass as close as possible to each of the points but
should not be connected point-to-point. (The data may be
irregular but nature rarely is.) If the relationship appears
to be linear, the smooth curve should be a straight line.
If the line is extended past the range of the measured
values, this extension should be indicated by a dashed rather than a
solid line.
Examples:
