AQA GCSE · Question 07.2 · Data Visualization and Representation
Describe one feature of the data.
How to approach this question
Look at the overall shape of the line over the entire time period. Does it have a general upward or downward trend? Or does it seem to repeat a certain shape over and over again? If it repeats, what is this pattern called?
Full Answer
The data is cyclical / shows a repeating pattern. The cycle length is approximately 10-11 years.
A key feature of this time series data is that it is **cyclical**. The number of sunspots rises to a peak (a solar maximum) and then falls to a minimum before rising again. This pattern repeats over time. We can estimate the length of the cycle by looking at the time between peaks. For example, there are peaks around 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000. This suggests a cycle length of approximately 10 years. (The actual average is about 11 years).
Common mistakes
✗ Describing a trend (e.g., "it goes up and down") without using the specific term "cyclical" or "repeating pattern".\n✗ Just stating a single value, which is not a feature of the overall data.
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