Linear Graph - Equations, Types, Vertical line graph, Horizontal line graph, Simple line graph, Multiple line graph and Compound line graph

Linear graphs are those graphs in which the relationship between any two measurements can be represented using a straight line in a graph. In this article, we will learn the basic as well as advanced concepts of line graphs. In statistics, line graphs are popularly used, and they represent the change in one quantity in relation to another. For instance, the height or weight of the students changes every year, which we may depict using this graph. Typically, this variation is represented in a two-dimensional XY plane. As a result, the line graph is often known as a linear graph.

A line graph also referred to as a line chart or line plot uses points and lines to depict change over time. It is a graph that depicts a line connecting multiple points or a line that depicts the relationship between the points. The linear graph is used to represent quantitative data between changing variables, and the linear graph contains the following:

• In a line graph, the title describes what graph will be plotted.
• The scale is the set of numbers that describe the units used on the linear graph.
• A label on each side and bottom of the linear graph specifies what type of data is represented in the graph. The data points on the line are described on the X-axis, and the numeric value for each point on the line is shown on the Y-axis.
• Bars are used to calculate the data number. The actual numbers for each data point are represented as data values.

There are five distinct types of line graphs, namely, vertical line graph, horizontal line graph, simple line graph, multiple line graph, and compound line graph. They are defined in detail below:

Vertical line graph: A vertical line extends from top to bottom and travels parallel to the y-axis. Thus, a vertical line graph is parallel to the y-axis and has a constant value of x. They are also called column graphs.

Horizontal line graph: A horizontal line extends from left to right and travels parallel to the x-axis. Thus, a horizontal line graph is parallel to the x-axis and has a constant value of y. They are also called row graphs.

Simple line graph: A simple line graph contains only one line drawn on the graph. The line is drawn may be horizontal, vertical, or have some value of the slope.

Multiple line graph: A multiple line graph contains more than one line drawn on the graph. This is beneficial in comparing a set of identical data over a long period.

Compound line graph: A compound line graph is the name given to the line graph if the information is split into two or more data kinds. Lines are used to representing the components of a total. The top line represents the entire data, while the line below represents a portion of that total. The distance between each pair of lines indicates the size of each component.

Line graphs are useful for tracking changes over infinitesimal and extended periods. It is also used to compare changes in various groups during the same time. When there are little changes, it is usually preferable to use a line graph rather than a bar graph.