Fig, ax = plt.subplots pattern in Matplotlib - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the plt.subplots() function return in matplotlib?

It returns two objects: fig, which is the Figure object representing the entire window or page, and ax, which is the Axes object where the actual plot is drawn.

beginner

Why do we use fig, ax = plt.subplots() instead of just plt.plot()?

Using fig, ax = plt.subplots() gives more control over the plot. You can customize the figure size, add multiple plots, and modify axes properties easily.

intermediate

How can you create multiple plots in one figure using plt.subplots()?

You can pass the number of rows and columns as arguments, like fig, axs = plt.subplots(2, 2). This creates a grid of 4 plots, and axs is an array of Axes objects.

beginner

What is the role of the fig object in the fig, ax = plt.subplots() pattern?

The fig object represents the whole figure or window. You can use it to set the figure size, save the figure to a file, or adjust layout settings.

beginner

How do you plot data on the axes object returned by plt.subplots()?

You call plotting methods on the ax object, like ax.plot(x, y). This draws the plot inside the axes area of the figure.

What does ax represent in fig, ax = plt.subplots()?

A The entire figure window

B A color map

C A data array

D The plotting area or axes

ax is the axes object where the plot is drawn, not the whole figure.

How do you create a 3x1 grid of plots using plt.subplots()?

A <code>fig, axs = plt.subplots(3)</code>

B <code>fig, ax = plt.subplots(1, 3)</code>

C <code>fig, axs = plt.subplots(3, 1)</code>

D <code>fig, ax = plt.subplots(1)</code>

Passing rows=3 and columns=1 creates a vertical stack of 3 plots.

Which object do you use to save the plot to a file?

A ax

B plt

C fig

D data

The fig object has the savefig() method to save the figure.

What is the default number of plots created by plt.subplots() with no arguments?

A 1

B 0

C 2

D 4

By default, it creates one figure and one axes (one plot).

How do you plot a line graph on the axes object?

A <code>ax.plot(x, y)</code>

B <code>fig.plot(x, y)</code>

C <code>plt.plot(x, y)</code>

D <code>ax.show(x, y)</code>

You use ax.plot(x, y) to plot on the specific axes.

Explain the purpose of the fig and ax objects returned by plt.subplots().

Think about the difference between the whole window and the area where you draw.

Describe how to create multiple plots in one figure using plt.subplots() and how to access each plot.

Consider a grid of small plots inside one big window.