Setting the Plot Settings

To set up the plot, do the following:

• Go to [2nd STAT] then select "Plot" from the menu. The screen should look something like this:

  

• Select "Plot1" from the menu (we could use any of the three plots, but it's simplest to just use Plot1). This puts you in the plot editor, where you can change the attributes of Plot1. The screen should look something like this:

  

• The first row indicates whether the plot is on or off. You really don't have to worry about this, since you can turn the plot on or off from the y(x) list.

• Move the cursor down to the row that says "Type". You will get a menu of the different plot types along the bottom of the screen. The type of plot that we will always use in this course is the first one, SCAT (scatter plot), which makes a plot of the individual data points. Your calculator can make other types of statistical plots (which you might use if you take a statistics course). Try selecting each of the other plot types, one at a time, from the menu, and notice what the picture next to "Type" looks like. Then select "SCAT" (scatter plot, the one we want, with the individual points), and leave it that way.

• Next move the cursor down to the row that says "Xlist". It should say Name=xStat. If it doesn't, select "xStat" from the menu at the bottom of the screen. Then move down to the row labelled "Ylist", which should say Name=yStat (fix it if it doesn't).

• Lastly, move the cursor down to the row labelled "Mark", which indicates the mark that the calculator will use to draw the points. Select whichever one you like (the square is probably the easiest one to see). EXIT when you are through.

Page written and maintained by Helen Read.