Scatterplots and Trendlines

Front

What is a scatterplot?

Back

A scatterplot is a graph that displays values for typically two variables for a set of data. Each point represents an observation in the dataset.

Front

What does a positive association in a scatterplot indicate?

Back

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

Front

What does a negative association in a scatterplot indicate?

Back

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

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 scatterplot, showing the general direction of the data.

Front

How do you determine the line of best fit?

Back

The line of best fit can be determined by visually inspecting the scatterplot and drawing a line that minimizes the distance of all points from the line.

Front

What does it mean if a scatterplot shows no correlation?

Back

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

Front

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

Back

The purpose is to make predictions about one variable based on the value of another variable.

Front

What does it mean if a line of best fit does not pass through the middle of the data set?

Back

It may indicate that the line is not accurately representing the trend of the data.

Front

How can you use a scatterplot to make predictions?

Back

You can use the line of best fit to estimate the value of one variable based on the value of another variable.

Front

What is the significance of the slope of the line of best fit?

Back

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