Scatter Plots and Line of Best Fit

Front

What is a scatter plot?

Back

A scatter plot is a graph that shows the relationship between two quantitative variables by displaying data points on a two-dimensional grid.

Front

What does the line of best fit represent in a scatter plot?

Back

The line of best fit represents the trend of the data points in a scatter plot, indicating the general direction of the relationship between the variables.

Front

How do you determine the slope of a line given two points (x1, y1) and (x2, y2)?

Back

The slope (m) is calculated using the formula m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1).

Front

What does a strong positive correlation indicate in a scatter plot?

Back

A strong positive correlation indicates that as one variable increases, the other variable also tends to increase.

Front

What does a strong negative correlation indicate in a scatter plot?

Back

A strong negative correlation indicates that as one variable increases, the other variable tends to decrease.

Front

What is the formula for the equation of a line in slope-intercept form?

Back

The formula is y = mx + b, where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept.

Front

How can you identify the y-intercept from a scatter plot?

Back

The y-intercept is the point where the line of best fit crosses the y-axis.

Front

What is the purpose of using a line of best fit?

Back

The purpose of using a line of best fit is to make predictions about one variable based on the value of another variable.

Front

If a scatter plot shows no correlation, what does that mean?

Back

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

Front

What is the significance of outliers in a scatter plot?

Back

Outliers are data points that differ significantly from other observations; they can affect the slope and position of the line of best fit.