Write an equation of the trend line, rounding to two decimal places as needed. For this problem, choose the points (1990,251) and (2002,325). Choose the correct answer below.
The equation of the trend line can be found using the slope-intercept form:
y = mx + b
where m is the slope of the line and b is the y-intercept.
To find the slope (m), we can use the formula:
m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1)
Using the points (1990, 251) and (2002, 325):
m = (325 - 251) / (2002 - 1990)
m = 74 / 12
m = 6.17
Now, let's use the y-intercept (b) and one of the points to find its value. We can rearrange the equation y = mx + b to solve for b:
b = y - mx
Using the point (1990, 251):
b = 251 - 6.17 * 1990
b ≈ -12238.23
Therefore, the equation of the trend line is:
y ≈ 6.17x - 12238.23