Trend Lines (Line of Best Fit)

Front

What is a trend line?

Back

A trend line, or line of best fit, is a straight line that best represents the data on a scatter plot, showing the general direction of the data points.

Front

What does a positive correlation indicate?

Back

A positive correlation indicates that as one variable increases, the other variable also increases.

Front

What does a negative correlation indicate?

Back

A negative correlation indicates that as one variable increases, the other variable decreases.

Front

What does 'no correlation' mean?

Back

No correlation means there is no apparent relationship between the two variables; changes in one do not affect the other.

Front

How do you determine the line of best fit?

Back

The line of best fit is determined by visually assessing the scatter plot and drawing a line that minimizes the distance between the line and all data points.

Front

What is the purpose of a scatter plot?

Back

A scatter plot is used to display the relationship between two quantitative variables, helping to identify trends or correlations.

Front

What is the significance of the slope in a trend line?

Back

The slope of a trend line indicates the rate of change between the two variables; a steeper slope means a stronger relationship.

Front

What does it mean if the trend line is horizontal?

Back

A horizontal trend line indicates no correlation between the variables, meaning changes in one variable do not affect the other.

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 time leads to higher scores.

Front

What is an example of a negative correlation?

Back

An example of a negative correlation is the relationship between time spent on social media and grades; more time on social media may lead to lower grades.