Scatterplots & Trendlines

Front

What is a scatterplot?

Back

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

Front

What is a trendline?

Back

A trendline is a line that is drawn on a scatterplot to represent the general direction or trend of the data points.

Front

How do you interpret a positive correlation in a scatterplot?

Back

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

Front

How do you interpret a negative correlation in a scatterplot?

Back

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

Front

What does no correlation mean in a scatterplot?

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 a line of best fit?

Back

The line of best fit is used to summarize the relationship between variables and to make predictions based on the data.

Front

What does it mean if a scatterplot is nonlinear?

Back

A nonlinear scatterplot indicates that the relationship between the variables does not follow a straight line; it may curve or have a different pattern.

Front

How can you use a trendline to make predictions?

Back

You can use a trendline to estimate the value of one variable based on the value of another variable by finding where the value falls on the line.

Front

What is the significance of outliers in a scatterplot?

Back

Outliers are data points that fall far from the trendline and can significantly affect the interpretation of the relationship between the variables.

Front

What is the first step in analyzing a scatterplot?

Back

The first step is to observe the overall pattern of the data points to determine the type of relationship (positive, negative, or no correlation).