Exercise 15.1: Constructing a Scatterplot by Hand

This exercise will allow you to experience directly how a scatterplot is constructed to reveal the relationship between two variables. Fifteen students enrolled in an International Relations course were told to read the New York Times thoroughly each day of the week during the semester. At the end of the course, the instructor surveyed the class to determine, on average, how many hours per week each student spent reading the newspaper. She also gave the students a test to measure their knowledge of current events in the international community. The following are two columns of data recording the average time students spent reading the newspaper and their score on the current events exam.



1. Construct a scatterplot to show the relationship between these variables and write a short description of your findings. Be sure to note anything unexpected in the scatterplot.

short description of your findings




2. Is the relationship between the variables more easily seen in the scatterplot you have created than in the two columns of numbers from which it was created? If so, why? If not, why not?