When we fit the best line through the points of a scatter plot, we usually have one of two goals in mind. (There is another chart type that Excel makes which does that - don't use it!) The name of the process used to create the best-fit line is called linear regression. In scientific graphs, one almost never 'connects the dots'. That's why another name for trendline is best-fit line. It may or may not actually pass through any particular points. You should notice that the trendline is the best line that fits through the points. In the example above, we had Excel calculate and plot a linear trendline through the points. Experimental Design Project Toggle Dropdown.11 Reporting the Results of a Statistical Test.6 Scatter plot, trendline, and linear regression.5.6 Discussing statistics in your scientific writing.5.4 A test for differences of sample means: 95% Confidence Intervals.5.2 P and Detecting Differences in Variable Quantities.3.3 Calculating Descriptive Statistics using Excel.3.1 Describing Quantities and Their Variation.Excel Reference and Statistics Manual Toggle Dropdown.Appendix A: Calculation Final Concentrations.3.1 Specific details regarding scientific writing.Scientific Literature Guide Toggle Dropdown.
