Learn in the textbookBasic Charts and Visualizing Distributions
DefinitionA line chart (折れ線グラフ) plots the value at each point in time and joins the points with a line to show change over time.
ExplanationThe horizontal axis typically holds months or years, and the values at each point are joined in order. A line rising to the right means an increase, one falling to the right means a decrease, and the steeper the slope, the bigger the change. A combination chart puts a bar chart and a line chart on one graph, for instance showing amounts as bars and the movement of a ratio as a line.
AnalogyIf you record your temperature every morning and join the dots, the rise and fall of a fever shows up as the shape of the line.
Memory hookWhere the line bends = the point in time when the direction or pace of change shifted.