Equation of Line of Best Fit (Scatter Plots)

Front

What is the equation of a line of best fit?

Back

The equation of a line of best fit is a linear equation that best represents the data points in a scatter plot, minimizing the distance between the points and the line.

Front

What does the slope of a line represent in a scatter plot?

Back

The slope of a line represents the rate of change of the dependent variable (y) with respect to the independent variable (x). A positive slope indicates a direct relationship, while a negative slope indicates an inverse relationship.

Front

What is the y-intercept in the equation of a line?

Back

The y-intercept is the value of y when x is 0. It represents the point where the line crosses the y-axis.

Front

How do you determine the slope from two points on a line?

Back

The slope (m) can be calculated using the formula m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1), where (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) are the coordinates of the two points.

Front

What does it mean if a line of best fit has a slope of 0?

Back

A slope of 0 indicates that there is no change in the dependent variable (y) as the independent variable (x) changes, resulting in a horizontal line.

Front

What is a scatter plot?

Back

A scatter plot is a graph that displays values for typically two variables for a set of data, using Cartesian coordinates to show the relationship between them.

Front

What is the purpose of a line of best fit?

Back

The purpose of a line of best fit is to summarize the relationship between variables in a scatter plot and to make predictions based on that relationship.

Front

What does it mean if the points in a scatter plot are closely clustered around the line of best fit?

Back

If the points are closely clustered around the line of best fit, it indicates a strong correlation between the variables.

Front

What is the difference between correlation and causation?

Back

Correlation indicates a relationship between two variables, while causation implies that one variable directly affects the other.

Front

How can outliers affect the line of best fit?

Back

Outliers can skew the line of best fit, leading to a less accurate representation of the overall data trend.