A researcher is using this data that compares ocean depth to visibility in their research paper.
They want to reorganize the graph because the depth of the water causes the visibility to change. Which of the following changes to the axis would best represent this relationship?

Question

A researcher is using this data that compares ocean depth to visibility in their research paper.
 They want to reorganize the graph because the depth of the water causes the visibility to change. Which of the following changes to the axis would best represent this relationship?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The variable on the x axis is typically the independent variable. This is the variable that supposedly causes the other variable to change. This other variable is called the dependent variable because its value is dependent on the independent variable. The dependent variable is normally on the y axis.
To reflect the relationship in the question (the depth in the ocean affects visibility), the depth should be on the x axis (as it is the independent variable) and the visibility should be on the y axis (as it is the dependent variable).
If the researcher wanted to reflect the image of the ocean, the researcher could flip the values of the y axis so that depth increased going down the y axis (as depth increases doing down from the surface of the water). This would not reflect the relationship between the two variables and thus is not the best answer to this question.

A Researcher Is Using This Data That Compares Ocean Depth