Gradient is a term used to describe the rate at which a road, railroad track, or a river channel rises or falls. All rivers have a gradual slope and eventually flow into a larger body of water such as an ocean. The Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. The Nile River in Egypt flows north into the Mediterranean Sea. Graphs are useful pictures of numbers that help us discover or understand information.
Graduations are a series of marks for measuring that are equal in distance or value.
For example, if the data consist of the numbers 3 to 76 it is wise to make your graduations in either units of 5 or 10. This will allow you to compare the amount of increase or decrease in elevation to the distance in miles between cities along the Mississippi River. Find and record the elevation of the following cities along the Mississippi River. Use a line graph to display your findings. Miles on the x-axis should not exceed 100 miles per square on the graph paper.