Cambridge O Level Mathematics (Syllabus D) · Syllabus 4024 · Statistics
Scatter Diagrams
What is Scatter Diagrams?
A diagram in which each individual contributes one point, plotting two variables measured on that same individual against each other, so that a relationship between the variables becomes visible. The pattern is described by direction — positive when y tends to rise with x, negative when y tends to fall, and zero when no trend is present — and by strength, meaning how tightly the points cluster around that trend. A single ruled straight line of best fit may be drawn through the overall trend with a rough balance of points either side; it supports interpolation inside the observed range of x but is unreliable outside it, and a correlation of any strength shows association only and never establishes cause.
This definition is part of the Statistics chapter in Cambridge O Level Mathematics (Syllabus D).