Final answer:
To predict the value of y when x equals 1910 using a scatter plot and line of best fit, create a scatter plot, use regression to find the equation of the line of best fit, plug in the x value, and calculate the corresponding y value. The slope shows the change in y with x, and the y-intercept is where the line crosses the y-axis. Predicting outside the range of observed x values, known as extrapolation, can be unreliable.
Step-by-step explanation:
To use a scatter plot and line of best fit to predict the value of y when x equals 1910, you would follow these steps:
- Draw a scatter plot of the data, which is a graph with a collection of points that shows the relationship between two numerical variables.
- Use regression analysis to find the equation for the line of best fit. This line is meant to summarize the trend within the data by minimizing the sum of the squares of the vertical distances of the points from the line.
- Once you have the equation, plug in the x value of 1910 to predict the corresponding y value.
The slope of the line of best fit indicates how much y is expected to increase when x increases by one unit. The y-intercept is the value of y when x is zero. An r value of zero indicates no linear relationship between the variables.
To predict outside the observed range of x values it's important to know that it can be unreliable because it involves extrapolation, which can lead to inaccurate predictions.
When evaluating whether X and Y variables are good candidates for linear regression, one must consider the pattern observed in the scatter plot. A linear pattern suggests a linear regression could be suitable.