Explore relationships between two variables
A scatter plot places each observation as a dot, with one variable on the x-axis and another on the y-axis. Patterns in the cloud of dots reveal whether the variables move together (correlation), how strongly, and whether there are clusters or outliers. This scatter plot maker creates such plots from plain x,y data, with numeric axes on both sides.
Two ways to enter data
1. Numeric first column – the first column is x, and every further column is a separate y series:
Study hours,Exam score
1,52
2,58
3,64
4,70
5,75
6,802. Group, x, y – when the first column contains text, it is treated as a group name, and the next two columns are x and y. Each group gets its own color and legend entry:
Species,Petal length,Petal width
setosa,1.4,0.2
setosa,1.3,0.2
versicolor,4.7,1.4
virginica,6.0,2.5Trend lines
With trend lines enabled, a dashed least-squares regression line is drawn for each series. Hovering over it shows its equation, for example y = 5.63x + 46.8: the slope tells you how much y changes, on average, for each unit of x. A trend line summarizes a linear relationship; it does not prove that one variable causes the other, and it can be misleading when the pattern is clearly curved.
Typical uses
Scatter plots are used to compare marketing spend with sales, height with weight, response time with server load, price with rating, or study time with results. They are also a quick sanity check before running a statistical analysis, because a single glance reveals outliers and non-linear patterns that summary numbers hide.
Reading a scatter plot
- Upward slope – positive correlation: higher x tends to go with higher y.
- Downward slope – negative correlation.
- No pattern – little or no linear relationship.
- Isolated points – potential outliers worth checking for data errors.
Scatter plot maker options
- Title, x-axis and y-axis labels, legend and custom colors.
- Width and height of the SVG in pixels.
- Point size adapts automatically: dots get smaller when you plot hundreds of points.
Both axes use "nice" round tick values chosen from your data range. If your data is a time series with ordered categories, a line graph is usually clearer; for grouped totals use the bar graph maker. Charts are drawn as SVG by JavaScript in your browser without any chart library or server; your data is never uploaded.