Basic Scatter Plot

Create a simple scatter plot:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

x = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
y = [2, 4, 6, 8, 10]

plt.scatter(x, y)
plt.xlabel('X')
plt.ylabel('Y')
plt.title('Scatter Plot')
plt.show()

Customizing Points

Customize point appearance:

plt.scatter(x, y,
            s=100,              # Size
            c='red',            # Color
            alpha=0.5,          # Transparency
            marker='o',         # Marker style
            edgecolors='black', # Edge color
            linewidths=2)       # Edge width

Color Mapping

Color points by value:

import numpy as np

x = np.random.rand(50)
y = np.random.rand(50)
colors = np.random.rand(50)
sizes = 1000 * np.random.rand(50)

plt.scatter(x, y, c=colors, s=sizes, alpha=0.5)
plt.colorbar()  # Show color scale
plt.show()

Multiple Groups

Plot multiple groups:

x1, y1 = [1, 2, 3], [2, 4, 6]
x2, y2 = [1, 2, 3], [3, 5, 7]

plt.scatter(x1, y1, label='Group 1', color='blue')
plt.scatter(x2, y2, label='Group 2', color='red')
plt.xlabel('X')
plt.ylabel('Y')
plt.title('Multiple Groups')
plt.legend()
plt.show()

Best Practices

  • Use appropriate size: Points should be visible but not overlap
  • Add colorbar: When using color mapping
  • Use transparency: For overlapping points
  • Label axes: Always include axis labels

Next Steps

Learn about line plots or bar charts.