Data Analysis Using Graphs

Numerous times during the Introductory Physics Laboratory courses, you will be asked to graph your data as part of your analysis. Almost all of these graphs are straightline graphs. Here, the major reasons why you are asked to produce these graphs are presented. We will also show a technique on how you can extract information out of straight-line graphs. There are two major reasons why a graph is necessary when analyzing a set of data. First, it gives you a visual trend on the behavior of your data points. It is certainly easier to observe any pattern emerging from a set of data when it is graphed than by just simply staring at a bunch of numbers. Secondly, it allows us to test a specific hypothesis or law. For example, the force exerted by a spring when it is extended or compressed from its natural length is described by Hooke’s Law as