Understanding Scatter Plots and Trends

This lesson focuses on fitting a line to a scatter plot to analyze data patterns. It uses examples like housing costs and river depth to explain the relationship between independent and dependent variables. The lesson emphasizes understanding these variables and using scatter plots to make predictions.

What is the primary purpose of fitting a line to a scatter plot?

• To remove outliers from the data

• To help make predictions based on the data

• To identify the exact values of data points

• To make the plot look more appealing

What trend is observed in the relationship between house size and price?

• Cyclical trend

• Positive linear trend

• No trend

• Negative linear trend

What is the significance of a positive linear trend in a scatter plot?

• There is no relationship between the variables

• The variables are inversely proportional

• As one variable increases, the other also increases

• As one variable increases, the other decreases

Which variable is typically placed on the horizontal axis in a scatter plot?

• Dependent variable

• Independent variable

• Both variables

• Neither variable

What is the role of the independent variable in a scatter plot?

• It is the variable that is predicted

• It is the variable that is chosen or manipulated

• It is the variable that remains constant

• It is the variable that is ignored

Which strategy might not be effective for drawing a line of best fit?

• Ensuring equal points above and below the line

• Drawing a line through the origin

• Maximizing points on the line

• Using the first and last points

What is a potential drawback of using only the first and last points to draw a line of best fit?

• It requires advanced software

• It may not represent the overall trend

• It ignores the dependent variable

• It is too complex to calculate

What relationship is observed between river depth and velocity?

• Velocity is constant regardless of depth

• Depth and velocity are unrelated

• As depth increases, velocity decreases

• As depth increases, velocity increases

Why might a line of best fit be useful in predicting river velocity?

• It helps estimate values in data-sparse areas

• It confirms the data's accuracy

• It provides exact future values

• It eliminates the need for data collection

How can scatter plots help in data analysis?

• By providing exact numerical predictions

• By visually representing data trends and relationships

• By eliminating the need for further analysis

• By focusing only on outliers