Numeracy in science

Graphs and science students

In relation to graphs, you may find that your students generally:

• Cannot work out the equation in a straight line;
• Never learned within the context of science how to represent a data set graphically eg fitting equations to lines. This will probably have been covered theoretically in mathematics and may have been taught differently;
• Have difficulties making links between a graph and the physical situation it represents;
• Are competent at the mechanics of graph plotting.