Broken axes concept in Matplotlib - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

❓ Predict Output

intermediate

Output of broken axes plot code

What will be the output of the following Python code using matplotlib's broken axes?

Matplotlib

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from brokenaxes import brokenaxes

fig = plt.figure(figsize=(6,4))
bax = brokenaxes(ylims=((0, 1), (3, 4)))
bax.plot([0, 1, 2, 3], [0.5, 0.7, 3.5, 3.8])
plt.show()

A A plot with two x-axis segments broken at 1 and 2, but continuous y-axis.

B A single continuous y-axis from 0 to 4 with all points plotted normally.

C A plot with two y-axis segments: one from 0 to 1 and another from 3 to 4, showing points connected across the break.

D A runtime error because brokenaxes does not support multiple y-axis limits.

💡 Hint

Broken axes allow you to skip ranges on an axis to focus on important data segments.

The brokenaxes function creates a plot with two separate y-axis ranges (0-1 and 3-4). The points are plotted accordingly, skipping the gap between 1 and 3.

❓ data_output

intermediate

Number of plotted points in broken axes

Given this code using brokenaxes, how many points will be visible on the plot?

Matplotlib

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from brokenaxes import brokenaxes

fig = plt.figure()
bax = brokenaxes(ylims=((0, 2), (5, 7)))
data_x = [0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
data_y = [1, 1.5, 3, 6, 6.5]
bax.plot(data_x, data_y)
plt.show()

A 2 points

B 3 points

C 5 points

D 4 points

💡 Hint

Points outside the broken y-axis limits are not shown.

The first two points (y=1, 1.5) fall within 0-2, and the last two (y=6, 6.5) within 5-7. The point at y=3 is outside both ranges and not shown, so 4 points are visible.

🔧 Debug

advanced

Identify the error in broken axes usage

What error will this code raise when trying to create a broken axes plot?

Matplotlib

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from brokenaxes import brokenaxes

fig = plt.figure()
bax = brokenaxes(xlims=((0, 2), (1, 3)))
bax.plot([0, 1, 2], [1, 2, 3])
plt.show()

A SyntaxError because of wrong tuple format

B ValueError due to overlapping x-axis limits

C No error, plot shows two broken x-axis segments

D TypeError because brokenaxes does not support xlims parameter

💡 Hint

Check if the axis limit ranges overlap or are invalid.

The x-axis limits overlap between (0,2) and (1,3), which is invalid and causes a ValueError.

🚀 Application

advanced

Use case for broken axes in data visualization

Which scenario best fits using broken axes in a plot?

A Displaying data with a large gap in y-values to focus on two separate ranges.

B Visualizing data with only one small range of values.

C Creating a pie chart to show proportions.

D Plotting continuous data with no gaps or outliers.

💡 Hint

Broken axes help when data has gaps or outliers that distort scale.

Broken axes are useful to skip large gaps in data ranges and focus on important segments.

🧠 Conceptual

expert

Effect of broken axes on data interpretation

What is a potential risk when using broken axes in plots?

A It can mislead viewers by visually compressing or skipping data ranges, hiding true differences.

B It always improves clarity without any drawbacks.

C It causes plots to be unreadable due to overlapping axis labels.

D It prevents plotting multiple lines on the same graph.

💡 Hint

Think about how skipping axis ranges affects perception.

Broken axes can hide gaps or differences in data, potentially misleading interpretation if not clearly indicated.