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Updated on: 17 Sep 2025, 07:57
Originally posted by Sajjad1994 on 26 Dec 2019, 10:53.
Last edited by Bunuel on 17 Sep 2025, 07:57, edited 7 times in total.
Last edited by Bunuel on 17 Sep 2025, 07:57, edited 7 times in total.
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Dropdown 1: nonlinear and positive
Dropdown 2: two distinct types
Be sure to select an answer first to save it in the Error Log before revealing the correct answer (OA)!
Difficulty:
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Question Stats:
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40%
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wrong
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For each blank, select the answer choice that correctly completes the statement according to the information in the graph.
The relationship between the duration of eruptions and the waiting time between eruptions is .
The graph suggests that Old Faithful has of eruption.
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Official Answer
Dropdown 1: nonlinear and positive
Dropdown 2: two distinct types
26 Dec 2019, 11:48
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1) Non linear and +ve correlation is there between the two entities since with increase of one the other also increases and it is non linear because the increase points when joined doesn't form a linear sequence
2) Two types of eruption are there since the dots are concentrates in two main regions
3) less than
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2) Two types of eruption are there since the dots are concentrates in two main regions
3) less than
Posted from my mobile device
27 Dec 2019, 12:03
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Psyllium9
Official Explanation
STEP 1: ANALYZE THE INFORMATION
Your first step with a question of this type should be to read the text that accompanies the graph. You may see only a single sentence, or you may see (as in this case) a full paragraph. This text is important. Although most Graphics Interpretation questions can be answered without reference to the text, reading will give you an overview of the information the graph contains and how it is presented. On Test Day, taking a moment to paraphrase the written information will improve your understanding of the image, speeding up your analysis and reducing your chances of committing a careless error.
Here, the paragraph tells you that the graph shows the behavior of a single geyser, Old Faithful. The graph presents two types of information: how long the eruptions of Old Faithful last and how long it then takes before the next eruption happens. Each point on the graph represents an eruption.
Next, look at the graph itself. Get a bird’s-eye view of the graph by reading the title and the labels of the axes and notice how the information from the paragraph is represented in the graph. Here, you’ll notice that the duration, or length, of the eruption is measured against the waiting time that follows it before the next eruption. Now look at the units of measurement that correspond to each axis and determine whether the scales are similar. In this case, both axes are measured in minutes, but the scales are very different: the x-axis is measured in 0.5-minute increments, while the y-axis is measured in 10-minute increments. Furthermore, the x-axis starts at 1.0 and ends at 5.0, while the y-axis starts at 40 and goes to 90. Then notice if there are any specific features mentioned in the accompanying paragraph that you see represented on the graph, such as a regression line.
The final step before answering the questions is to look at the data to see if they fall into a general pattern. On this scatter plot, most of the data points separate into two distinct groups. With a pattern this clear, you can anticipate that this observation will be key to answering one or more of the accompanying questions. Making these observations before analyzing the questions will help you answer each question more effectively.
STEP 2: APPROACH STRATEGICALLY
Question 1:
First, read and paraphrase the question. It asks about the relationship between the duration of eruptions and the waiting time between eruptions, which means that you are looking for a pattern in how the data points are arrayed on the graph. Before attempting to predict an answer, scan the answer choices. Here, you see the words linear, nonlinear, positive, and negative, which indicate that the pattern may take the shape and slope of a line. The regression line will help you here. There is more than one type of regression line, and in this case, the exact type of regression line has not been specified. But you should know that a regression line, however it is calculated, represents the overall trend of the points as a group. The regression line slopes upward meaning the waiting time gets longer as the explosion duration gets longer. This is a positive relationship—both variables tend to increase and decrease together—so you can narrow the answer down to choices (A) and (B). Next, you need to determine whether the relationship is linear or nonlinear by looking at the shape of the regression line. You’ll notice that the regression “line” isn’t really a line, because its slope changes as the amounts of time get longer. Since the relationship isn’t linear through the entire data set, the answer is (B).
Question 2:
This question might seem a little tricky at first, since the way it’s worded might make you think you need to know something qualitative about the types of eruptions the geyser experiences—perhaps something about their magnitude or geological characteristics. But the GMAT will never require you to have outside knowledge beyond high school math and general knowledge of grammar and logic. All the information you need to answer this question is contained in the graph. Begin by paraphrasing the question for yourself: does Old Faithful have one, two, or more than two distinct types of eruption? As you noticed before, the data points separate themselves into two main clusters. There are a few stray data points scattered outside these clusters, but their number is not significant. Therefore, you can infer from the graph that Old Faithful has two types of eruptions, (B).
Question 3:
For this question, you need to examine the data in the graph more closely. This statement contains a comparison between two data points: the maximum wait time for an eruption that lasts less than two minutes and the minimum wait time for an eruption that lasts more than four minutes. Note that you’re asked to compare the wait times of these two points—that’s their height along the y-axis. So this question asks you to find these two points and compare their heights. The first point is the highest point to the left of the two-minute line on the x-axis, which looks to be just below 65 on the y-axis. Now find the second point, the lowest point to the right of the four-minute line on the x-axis. The lowest point to the right of that line appears to be just below the 70-minute mark on the y-axis. The first point is therefore lower than the second, so you would choose “less than,” (C).
Your first step with a question of this type should be to read the text that accompanies the graph. You may see only a single sentence, or you may see (as in this case) a full paragraph. This text is important. Although most Graphics Interpretation questions can be answered without reference to the text, reading will give you an overview of the information the graph contains and how it is presented. On Test Day, taking a moment to paraphrase the written information will improve your understanding of the image, speeding up your analysis and reducing your chances of committing a careless error.
Here, the paragraph tells you that the graph shows the behavior of a single geyser, Old Faithful. The graph presents two types of information: how long the eruptions of Old Faithful last and how long it then takes before the next eruption happens. Each point on the graph represents an eruption.
Next, look at the graph itself. Get a bird’s-eye view of the graph by reading the title and the labels of the axes and notice how the information from the paragraph is represented in the graph. Here, you’ll notice that the duration, or length, of the eruption is measured against the waiting time that follows it before the next eruption. Now look at the units of measurement that correspond to each axis and determine whether the scales are similar. In this case, both axes are measured in minutes, but the scales are very different: the x-axis is measured in 0.5-minute increments, while the y-axis is measured in 10-minute increments. Furthermore, the x-axis starts at 1.0 and ends at 5.0, while the y-axis starts at 40 and goes to 90. Then notice if there are any specific features mentioned in the accompanying paragraph that you see represented on the graph, such as a regression line.
The final step before answering the questions is to look at the data to see if they fall into a general pattern. On this scatter plot, most of the data points separate into two distinct groups. With a pattern this clear, you can anticipate that this observation will be key to answering one or more of the accompanying questions. Making these observations before analyzing the questions will help you answer each question more effectively.
STEP 2: APPROACH STRATEGICALLY
Question 1:
First, read and paraphrase the question. It asks about the relationship between the duration of eruptions and the waiting time between eruptions, which means that you are looking for a pattern in how the data points are arrayed on the graph. Before attempting to predict an answer, scan the answer choices. Here, you see the words linear, nonlinear, positive, and negative, which indicate that the pattern may take the shape and slope of a line. The regression line will help you here. There is more than one type of regression line, and in this case, the exact type of regression line has not been specified. But you should know that a regression line, however it is calculated, represents the overall trend of the points as a group. The regression line slopes upward meaning the waiting time gets longer as the explosion duration gets longer. This is a positive relationship—both variables tend to increase and decrease together—so you can narrow the answer down to choices (A) and (B). Next, you need to determine whether the relationship is linear or nonlinear by looking at the shape of the regression line. You’ll notice that the regression “line” isn’t really a line, because its slope changes as the amounts of time get longer. Since the relationship isn’t linear through the entire data set, the answer is (B).
Question 2:
This question might seem a little tricky at first, since the way it’s worded might make you think you need to know something qualitative about the types of eruptions the geyser experiences—perhaps something about their magnitude or geological characteristics. But the GMAT will never require you to have outside knowledge beyond high school math and general knowledge of grammar and logic. All the information you need to answer this question is contained in the graph. Begin by paraphrasing the question for yourself: does Old Faithful have one, two, or more than two distinct types of eruption? As you noticed before, the data points separate themselves into two main clusters. There are a few stray data points scattered outside these clusters, but their number is not significant. Therefore, you can infer from the graph that Old Faithful has two types of eruptions, (B).
Question 3:
For this question, you need to examine the data in the graph more closely. This statement contains a comparison between two data points: the maximum wait time for an eruption that lasts less than two minutes and the minimum wait time for an eruption that lasts more than four minutes. Note that you’re asked to compare the wait times of these two points—that’s their height along the y-axis. So this question asks you to find these two points and compare their heights. The first point is the highest point to the left of the two-minute line on the x-axis, which looks to be just below 65 on the y-axis. Now find the second point, the lowest point to the right of the four-minute line on the x-axis. The lowest point to the right of that line appears to be just below the 70-minute mark on the y-axis. The first point is therefore lower than the second, so you would choose “less than,” (C).
Hope it helps
