When is a scatterplot most useful in statistics?

A scatterplot is most useful for understanding relationships between two quantitative variables. This graphical representation allows for the visualization of how one variable may influence or relate to another. By plotting data points on a Cartesian plane, each point represents an observation of the two variables in question. This makes it easy to identify patterns, trends, or correlations, such as whether the relationship is positive, negative, or nonexistent.

Scatterplots can also reveal the strength of a relationship, as well as any outliers or deviations in the data that might not be apparent in other forms of analysis. Unlike categorical frequency distributions, which focus on counts instead of relationships, or summary statistics like mean and median that provide averages or central tendencies of data without showing relationships, scatterplots specifically illuminate the interplay between two quantitative measures, making them an indispensable tool in exploratory data analysis.