A.3.1—Translating between data forms

The same relationship can appear as prose, a table, an equation or a graph. Translate one representation at a time and preserve variables, units and direction of change.

Name the independent and dependent variables, identify constants and check a point from one form against another before inferring a trend.

A table showing rate increasing with substrate can become a graph of rate against concentration; a plateau in the graph means the increase is no longer proportional.

Changing representation does not add evidence; an attractive graph can still hide a sampling or scale problem.