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Setting color and fill Aesthetic Properties

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# Load Packages -----------------------------------------------------------

library(tidyverse)

# Import Data -------------------------------------------------------------

penguins <- read_csv("penguins.csv")
			
# Setting color and fill Aesthetic Properties -----------------------------

# We add the color argument within aes() so that 
# the data in that variable is mapped to those aesthetic properties.

# With this code, the island variable is mapped to the aesthetic property color

ggplot(data = penguins,
       mapping = aes(x = bill_length_mm,
                     y = bill_depth_mm,
                     color = island)) +
  geom_point()

# Let's try the same thing with our bar chart

ggplot(data = penguin_bill_length_by_island,
       mapping = aes(x = island,
                     y = mean_bill_length,
                     color = island)) +
  geom_col()

# That didn't work! Let's try fill instead.

ggplot(data = penguin_bill_length_by_island,
       mapping = aes(x = island,
                     y = mean_bill_length,
                     fill = island)) +
  geom_col()

Your Turn

# Load Packages -----------------------------------------------------------

library(tidyverse)

# Import Data -------------------------------------------------------------

penguins <- read_csv("penguins.csv")

# Setting color and fill Aesthetic Properties -----------------------------

# Take your graph that uses geom_col() and make the inside of each bar a different color.

# YOUR CODE HERE

# Make your scatterplot from before with flipper length on the x axis and body mass on the y axis
# but make the points different colors based on the island variable

# YOUR CODE HERE

Learn More

You may want to review Chapter 11 from R for Data Science , which includes a section on mapping data to color and fill aesthetics. Chapter 2 of Fundamentals of Data Visualization has a similar discussion. So does Chapter 3 of Data Visualization: A Practical Introduction.

Chapter 11 of ggplot2: Elegant Graphics for Data Analysis is also a good place to learn about color and fill scales.

Have any questions? Put them below and we will help you out!

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