STATGRAPHICS – Rev.

6/12/2005

X-Y Plot

Summary
The X-Y Plot plots the data in two numeric columns to illustrate the relationship between them.
The points may be coded according to the value of a third variable or connected by a line if
sequential. If the points represent averages, standard error bars may be added to illustrate the
uncertainty in X and/or Y.

Sample StatFolio: xyplot.sgp

Sample Data:
The file 93cars.sf3 contains information on 26 variables for n = 93 makes and models of
automobiles, taken from Lock (1993). The table below shows a partial list of 5 columns from
that file:

Make Model MPG Highway Weight Passengers

Acura Integra 31 2705 5
Acura Legend 25 3560 5
Audi 90 26 3375 5
Audi 100 26 3405 6
BMW 535i 30 3640 4
Buick Century 31 2880 6
Buick LeSabre 28 3470 6
Buick Roadmaster 25 4105 6
Buick Riviera 27 3495 5
Cadillac DeVille 25 3620 6
Cadillac Seville 25 3935 5
Chevrolet Cavalier 36 2490 5

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 STATGRAPHICS – Rev. 6/12/2005

Data Input
The data to be analyzed consist of two numeric columns containing n = 2 or more pairs of
observations.

• Y : numeric column containing data to be plotted on the vertical axis.

• X: numeric column containing data to be plotted on the horizontal axis.
• Select: subset selection.

Analysis Summary
The Analysis Summary shows the number of pairs of observations plotted.

X-Y Plot - MPG Highway vs. Weight

X variable: Weight
Y variable: MPG Highway

93 values

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 STATGRAPHICS – Rev. 6/12/2005

Scatterplot

The Scatterplot plots each pair of data values.

Plot of MPG Highway vs Weight

50
MPG Highway

45
40

35
30
25
20
1600 2100 2600 3100 3600 4100 4600
Weight
Pane Options

• Point codes: column containing identifiers used to code the points.

• Std. Error X: column containing standard errors in the horizontal direction for each
point plotted.

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 STATGRAPHICS – Rev. 6/12/2005
• Std. Error Y: column containing standard errors in the vertical direction for each point
plotted.
• Plot: select Points to plot point symbols for each observation and Lines to connect the
points.

The Point Codes option is used to illustrate groupings of the data, such as the number of
passenger seats in each vehicle:

Plot of MPG Highway vs Weight

50 Passengers
2
MPG Highway

45 4
40 5
6
35 7
8
30
25
20
1600 2100 2600 3100 3600 4100 4600
Weight

The Std. Error fields are used to plot error bars around each point, often used when the points
represent averages. For example, the table below shows the sample means and standard errors
calculated by the Oneway ANOVA procedure for the 93 automobiles grouped by number of
passengers:

# Cylinders Count Mean MPG Stnd error Mean weight Stnd error
Highway MPG Highway Weight
3 3 43.3333 3.75648 1901.67 105.883
4 49 31.449 0.587614 2710 53.2269
5 2 24.5 3.5 3602.5 357.5
6 31 25.3226 0.445738 3559.19 47.5723
8 7 25.0 0.534522 3835.71 92.2886

To display the data, create an X-Y Plot of Mean MPG Highway versus Mean Weight and
complete the Pane Options dialog box as shown below:

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 STATGRAPHICS – Rev. 6/12/2005

The resulting plot shows the means for each group, together with an indication of the sampling
error in each direction:

Plot of Mean MPG Highway vs Mean Weight

Mean MPG Highway

51 # cylinders
3
46 4
41 5
6
36 8
31
26
21
1700 2100 2500 2900 3300 3700 4100
Mean Weight
The smaller samples, such as the 3 and 5 cylinder automobiles, have more uncertainty associated
with them as indicated by the long standard error bars.

 2005 by StatPoint, Inc. X-Y Plot - 5