Help on graphing scientific data...?

Question

Why isn't it necessary for all of the data points to be on the drawn line of the graph?

Best answer gets 10 points!!!

Answer 1

No matter how carefully you gather your data you are likely to have errors, many times due to the lack of precision of the available measuring equipment.  The line (or curve) you draw on the graph should be the one that comes closest to all the data points.  The parameters of this line or curve are found by a method called regression, or Method of Least Squares.  In this method the "line of best fit" will have the smallest possible sum of the squares of the distances between the points and the line.