Final answer:
To choose a scatter plot that suggests a linear relationship, one should look for a pattern where the data points form a straight line. The steps involve making a scatter plot, inspecting for a correlation, and calculating the least-squares regression line if a linear pattern is observed.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking how to select a scatter plot that suggests a linear relationship between two variables, x and y. To determine this, one would typically look for a scatter plot where the points roughly form a straight line. If a scatter plot shows a pattern where as one variable increases, the other variable tends to also increase or decrease at a consistent rate, this suggests a linear relationship suitable for linear regression.
Steps for analysis may include entering data into a calculator to create a scatter plot, choosing which variable will be independent and which will be dependent, and then examining whether the scatter plot suggests a correlation. If so indicated, one would calculate the least-squares regression line, often represented by the equation ý = a + bx, and add this line to the scatter plot to visualize the linear relationship.
Lastly, when data is represented graphically by a straight line, this indicates a direct relationship between x and y, signaling that linear regression is indeed appropriate. This can be confirmed further by using a calculator's regression function to provide a more quantitative analysis.