Final answer:
A scatter plot would be the most appropriate graph for representing the distances that 40 athletes throw a shot put.
Step-by-step explanation:
A scatter plot would be the most appropriate graph for representing the distances that 40 athletes throw a shot put. A scatter plot uses individual data points to show the relationship between two variables, in this case, the distance thrown and the athlete's number. Each athlete's distance can be plotted as a point on the graph, allowing for easy comparison of the distances thrown by different athletes.
For example, Athlete 1 may have thrown a distance of 10 meters, while Athlete 2 may have thrown a distance of 12 meters. The scatter plot would show these two points separately and allow you to visually see the difference in distances between the two athletes.