Describing Correlation & trend lines

Front

What is correlation?

Back

Correlation is a statistical measure that describes the extent to which two variables change together. A positive correlation means that as one variable increases, the other also increases, while a negative correlation means that as one variable increases, the other decreases.

Front

What is a scatter plot?

Back

A scatter plot is a graph that shows the relationship between two quantitative variables. Each point on the plot represents an observation.

Front

What is a line of best fit?

Back

A line of best fit is a straight line that best represents the data on a scatter plot. It shows the general direction of the data points.

Front

What does a positive correlation look like on a scatter plot?

Back

A positive correlation on a scatter plot appears as a pattern where points trend upwards from left to right.

Front

What does a negative correlation look like on a scatter plot?

Back

A negative correlation on a scatter plot appears as a pattern where points trend downwards from left to right.

Front

What does no correlation mean?

Back

No correlation means there is no discernible relationship between the two variables, and the points on the scatter plot do not show any trend.

Front

How do you determine the line of best fit?

Back

The line of best fit can be determined using methods such as least squares regression, which minimizes the distance between the data points and the line.

Front

What is the purpose of a trend line?

Back

A trend line is used to summarize the relationship between variables in a scatter plot and to predict future values.

Front

What is the difference between strong and weak correlation?

Back

Strong correlation means the data points are closely clustered around the line of best fit, while weak correlation means the points are more spread out.

Front

What is an example of a positive correlation?

Back

An example of a positive correlation is the relationship between hours studied and test scores; generally, more study hours lead to higher scores.