Colormaps (sequential, diverging, qualitative) in Matplotlib - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a sequential colormap in matplotlib?

A sequential colormap shows a range of colors that go from light to dark or from low to high intensity. It is used for data that has order, like numbers increasing from small to large.

beginner

Describe a diverging colormap and when to use it.

A diverging colormap has two contrasting colors that meet in the middle with a neutral color. It is good for data with a meaningful center point, like temperatures above and below zero.

beginner

What is a qualitative colormap used for?

Qualitative colormaps use distinct colors without order. They are used to show categories or groups, like different types of fruits or countries.

beginner

Give an example of a sequential colormap in matplotlib.

An example is 'viridis', which goes from dark purple to yellow. It is good for showing increasing values clearly.

intermediate

Why should you choose a diverging colormap for data with a midpoint?

Because it highlights differences above and below the midpoint with two colors, making it easy to see where values are higher or lower than the center.

Which colormap type is best for showing categories without order?

A Sequential

B Continuous

C Diverging

D Qualitative

Qualitative colormaps use distinct colors for categories without implying order.

What does a sequential colormap represent?

A Data with a meaningful center point

B Ordered data from low to high

C Categorical data

D Random colors

Sequential colormaps show ordered data, usually from low to high values.

Which matplotlib colormap is an example of a diverging colormap?

A coolwarm

B tab10

C viridis

D plasma

'coolwarm' is a diverging colormap with two contrasting colors and a neutral center.

When should you use a diverging colormap?

A For data with a meaningful midpoint

B For data with no order

C For categorical data

D For random data

Diverging colormaps highlight values above and below a center point.

Which colormap type is best for showing increasing values clearly?

A Diverging

B Qualitative

C Sequential

D Categorical

Sequential colormaps are designed to show ordered data increasing from low to high.

Explain the differences between sequential, diverging, and qualitative colormaps and give an example of when to use each.

Think about data types: ordered numbers, data with a center, and categories.

Describe how you would choose a colormap for a heatmap showing temperature differences from freezing point.

Focus on the importance of the center value in your data.