Line, Area, Scatter, and Bubble Plots Simple line plots show the relationship of one variable to another, often as movements or trends in the data over a period of time. Typically, each variable value on the horizontal axis has only one corresponding value on the vertical axis. Area plots are line plots that emphasize trends by filling the areas between plot lines with a pattern or color. Two-dimensional scatter plots show the relationship of one variable to another, often revealing concentrations or trends in the data. Typically, each variable value on the horizontal axis can have any number of corresponding values on the vertical axis.
Bubble plots show the relative magnitude of one variable in relation to two other variables.
The values of two variables determine the position of the bubble on the plot, and the value of a third variable determines the size of the bubbles. Specify font characteristics for the labels when they are displayed For line and scatter plots, connect plot points with an interpolation line, and specify the type of interpolation. They use contour lines or patterns to represent levels of magnitude for a contour variable that is plotted on the horizontal and vertical axes. Surface plots are three-dimensional plots that display the relationship of three variables as a continuous surface. Surface plots examine the three-dimensional shape of data.