Line of best fit or point the dots??? (1 Viewer)

[freaktong]

Can anyone help me i'm really confused about when to use the line of best fit and when to simply join the dots. My physics tells me to always do a line of best fit but other times in for example chemistry we were told to join the dots. When do i need to do a line of best fit? and can there be like a curve line of best fit?

please help

 

[kaz1]

When you know there is a linear relationship like Ohm's law (V=IR). But if your plotting something like gravitational potential energy the graph would be hyperbolic therefore you just join the dots.

 

[Uncle]

You don't join the dots, you are supposed to draw a line of best fit.
What if just one dot out of say, sixteen dots you drew went far off the graph?
That is called an outlier when and if you just join the dots you would ruin your results.

The whole point of line of best fit is to establish the best possible relationship given the results and minimise outliers.

 

[mtsmahia]

U always draw a line of best fit, it is not necessary for the LOBF to be linear

 

[annabackwards]

you don't join the dots, you are supposed to draw a line of best fit.
What if just one dot out of say, sixteen dots you drew went far off the graph?
That is called an outlier when and if you just join the dots you would ruin your results.

The whole point of line of best fit is to establish the best possible relationship given the results and minimise outliers.

+1