Kim and Sonia have each drawn a line on the scatter plot shown below:
The graph shows numbers from 0 to 10 on x and y axes at increments of 1. Dots are made at the ordered pairs 1, 5 and 2, 4 and 3, 3.5 and 4, 2.5 and 4.5, 2.8 and 5, 2 and 6, 1.5 and 7, 1 and 8, 0.9 and 9, 0.2 and 10, 0. A straight line labeled Line A joins the ordered pairs 0, 7.2 and 10.4, 0. A straight line labeled Line B joins the ordered pairs 0, 5 and 9.1, 0.
Which line best represents the line of best fit?
To determine which line best represents the line of best fit on a scatter plot, we need to look for the line that has the closest approximation to the general trend or pattern of the points.
In this case, we can visually analyze the scatter plot and compare it with Line A and Line B.
Line A connects two points (0, 7.2) and (10.4, 0), while Line B connects two points (0, 5) and (9.1, 0).
We need to determine which line follows the general trend of the scatter plot. A good line of best fit should pass through or be close to the majority of the plotted points.
Looking at the scatter plot, we can see that Line B better follows the general trend of the points. Most of the points seem to form a diagonal line that intersects closely with Line B, suggesting that Line B is a better fit for the data.
So, Line B represents the line of best fit in this scatter plot.