What does a line graph typically illustrate?

A line graph is primarily used to illustrate trends and gradual changes over a certain period or between variables. It does this by connecting individual data points with lines, allowing viewers to easily visualize how values increase or decrease in relation to one another. This is particularly useful when you want to observe the progression of data over time, such as sales figures over several months or temperature changes throughout the seasons.

The structure of a line graph clearly shows the relationship and direction of the data, making it easy to identify patterns, peaks, and troughs. This visual representation helps in analyzing the overall movement of the data, which is a key characteristic of trends.

While other types of data visualization serve specific purposes, such as pie charts for percentage distribution or bar graphs for comparative statistics, the line graph's main strength lies in capturing and conveying the continuous nature of the data it represents over time or across a range of values.