science

Motion chart

Motion chart is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Motion chart rather than just read about it. In short: A motion chart is a dynamic bubble chart which allows efficient and interactive exploration and visualization of longitudinal multivariate data. Motion charts provide mechanisms for mapping ordinal, nominal and quantitative variables onto time, 2D coordinate axes, size, colors, glyphs and appearance characteristics, which facilitate the interactive display of multidimensional and temporal data.

Key takeaways

Motion chart belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Motion chart to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Motion chart from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A motion chart is a dynamic bubble chart which allows efficient and interactive exploration and visualization of longitudinal multivariate data. Motion charts provide mechanisms for mapping ordinal, nominal and quantitative variables onto time, 2D coordinate axes, size, colors, glyphs and appearance characteristics, which facilitate the interactive display of multidimensional and temporal data.

Overview In general, charts, graphs and plots provide the means for summarizing quantitative and qualitative data using diverse graphical representations. The main limitations of such static types of data exploratory and visualization are the low number of variables that can be shown simultaneously on the chart. Many classical data visualization techniques have limitations in terms of the volume, properties or complexity of the dataset. For instance, Scatter plots require bivariate data. Many datasets include multiple measurements like time, space, demographic, phenotypic and functional recording. For instance, the annual US Housing Price Index dataset includes dozens of variable including location (State and US region), year, unemployment rate, state population, percent subprime loans, etc. Motion charts provide a dynamic data visualization paradigm that facilitates the representation and understanding of large and multivariate data. Using the familiar 2D Bubble charts, motion Charts enable the display of large multivariate data with thousands of data points and allow for interactive visualization of the data using additional dimensions like time, the size of the blobs, and color) to show different characteristics of the data. The central object of a motion chart is a blob (or bubble), which is a solid object homeomorphic to a disc. Blobs have 3 important characteristics – size, position and appearance. Using variable mapping, motion charts allow control over the appearance of the blobs at different time points. This mechanism enhances the dynamic appearance of the data in the motion chart and facilitates the visual inspection of associations, patterns and trends in multivariate datasets.

Examples of motion charts There are several web-based motion charts graphical data visualization tools including Many-Eyes, Gapminder, Google Motion Charts, nanobi analytics, motion-chart by amCharts and SOCR Motion Charts. These graphical resources allow users to interactively explore relationships and trends of data with temporal characteristics.

Illustrations

Motion chart: An example of a Motion Chart illustrating the relationships between six variables. — An example of a Motion Chart illustrating the relationships between six variables.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Motion chart

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Motion chart claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Motion chart before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Motion chart ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Motion chart

In research: Motion chart appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Motion chart in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Motion chart is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Charts, Diagrams, Infographics, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Motion chart outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Motion chart in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Motion chart means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Motion chart out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Motion chart in simple terms?

Why does Motion chart matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Motion chart?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Motion chart.