How would you identify a trend in a line graph of temperature over time?

• A. Count the number of peaks.
• B. Ignore fluctuations and only look at endpoints.
• C. Look for a general rise or fall across years, noting whether changes are steady, seasonal, or irregular.
• D. Compare temperature to rainfall.

Answer: (C)

The main idea when identifying a trend in a line graph of temperature over time is to look at the overall direction of the data across the entire period, not the short-term ups and downs. The best approach is to look for a general rise or fall across years and note whether changes are steady, seasonal, or irregular. This captures long-term movement: a steady rise suggests warming, a steady fall suggests cooling, while seasonal patterns show regular within-year fluctuations and irregular indicates no clear pattern. Other options don’t fit because counting peaks focuses on short-term fluctuations, endpoints alone can misrepresent what happened in between, and comparing temperature to rainfall examines a relationship between variables rather than the trend of temperature itself.