Final answer:
Points near a straight line on a graph of the correlation coefficient suggest a strong correlation. The closer 'r' is to 1 or -1, the stronger the relationship, with r close to 0 indicating weak or no correlation. The correct option is a.
Step-by-step explanation:
On a graph of a correlation coefficient, points falling near to a straight sloped line indicate a strong correlation. A correlation coefficient, represented by the letter r, ranges from -1 to 1. The number portion of the correlation coefficient indicates the strength of the relationship. The closer the value of r is to 1 or -1, the stronger the correlation.
Thus, if datapoints on a graph are close to a straight line, whether the slope is positive or negative, it signifies that there is either a positive or negative strong correlation between the variables. A positive correlation means the variables increase together, and a negative correlation means one variable decreases as the other increases.
Therefore, the correct answer to the given question is:
Points falling near to a straight sloped line indicate A. a strong correlation.
As for the most appropriate choice from the reference information provided:
- The correlation coefficient indicates the weakest relationship when a. it is closest to 0