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For a data set of weights (pounds) and highway fuel consumption, what is the relationship between weight and fuel consumption?

1) There is a positive linear relationship between weight and fuel consumption
2) There is a negative linear relationship between weight and fuel consumption
3) There is no relationship between weight and fuel consumption
4) The relationship between weight and fuel consumption cannot be determined

1 Answer

2 votes

Final answer:

The relationship between weight and fuel consumption shows a negative linear relationship between weight and fuel consumption. The correct answer is 2.

Step-by-step explanation:

The relationship between weight and fuel consumption can be analyzed using correlation. A negative linear relationship indicates that as weight increases, fuel consumption decreases. To determine the significance of the correlation, we can calculate the coefficient of determination, which measures the proportion of variation in fuel consumption explained by weight. The practical interpretation of the slope of the least-squares line is that for every unit increase in weight, there is a corresponding decrease in fuel efficiency.

For a car that weighs 4,000 pounds, we can use the regression equation to predict its fuel efficiency. The regression equation predicts the relationship between weight and fuel efficiency, and using the provided data set, we can estimate the fuel efficiency based on weight.

We cannot directly predict the fuel efficiency of a car that weighs 10,000 pounds using the least-squares line, as it may fall outside the range of the data set and extrapolation can be unreliable.

The line in the scatter plot may fit the data if the points are close to the line and follow the trend. The correlation suggests that there is a negative relationship between fuel efficiency and weight, meaning as weight increases, fuel efficiency decreases. This is what we expected based on common knowledge that heavier cars generally have lower fuel efficiency.

Based on the provided information, it is not mentioned if there are any outliers in the data set, so we cannot identify if there are any specific points that could be considered outliers. The correct answer is 2.

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