Understanding Graphing: Scale and Origin
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Beginner
Start here! Easy to understand
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Beginner Explanation
A graph has an x-axis (horizontal) and a y-axis (vertical) that intersect at the origin $(0,0)$. Scaling means choosing how much each unit on an axis represents—for example, 1 unit could represent 1 dollar. Refer to the coordinate plane sketch (assets/images/coordinate_plane_sketch.png) for a visual reference.
Practice Problems
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1
Quick Quiz
Single Choice Quiz
Beginner
What is the origin on a graph?
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2
Real-World Problem
Question Exercise
Intermediate
Teenager Scenario
Imagine you are graphing your weekly allowance over a year. How would you adjust the scale if your allowance ranged from $5 to $50?
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3
Thinking Challenge
Thinking Exercise
Intermediate
Think About This
Consider a graph where all data points are between 1000 and 5000. How would you place the origin and scale the axes?
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4
Challenge Quiz
Single Choice Quiz
Advanced
Which scale would best represent the function $y = 0.005x$?
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Recap
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