Final answer:
The correlation coefficients ranked from strongest to weakest linear correlation are -0.87 (strongest), 0.79, 0.50, and -0.25 (weakest).
The absolute value of the coefficient determines the strength, irrespective of whether the relationship is positive or negative.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correlation coefficient is a statistical measure of the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two variables.
It is represented by the symbol r and ranges from -1 to +1. The value of r indicates the strength of the relationship, with values close to 1 or -1 indicating a strong relationship, and values close to 0 indicating a weak relationship.
A positive value indicates a positive relationship, while a negative value indicates a negative relationship.
Given the correlation coefficients -0.87, 0.79, 0.50, and -0.25, we can rank them from the strongest linear correlation to the weakest as follows:
- -0.87 (Strong negative correlation)
- 0.79 (Strong positive correlation)
- 0.50 (Moderate positive correlation)
- -0.25 (Weak negative correlation)
Remember that both negative and positive correlations can be strong; what matters is the absolute value of the coefficient, which shows the strength of the relationship independent of its direction.