To determine the correct equation of the trend line in slope-intercept form (y = mx + b), we need to first identify the slope (m) and the y-intercept (b) of the line.
Looking at the points given:
- (0, 9)
- (4, 8)
- (8, 7)
- (10, 6.5)
We can find the slope (m) using two of the points. Let's use the points (0, 9) and (4, 8):
The slope formula is: \[ m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \]
Substituting the points into the formula: \[ m = \frac{8 - 9}{4 - 0} = \frac{-1}{4} \]
So the slope \( m = -\frac{1}{4} \).
Now, we can use the y-intercept from the point (0, 9), which indicates that \( b = 9 \).
Thus, the equation of the trend line is: \[ y = -\frac{1}{4}x + 9 \]
Looking at the provided responses, the corresponding option is: y = −14x + 9 (this seems to be a typo; it should be y = -1/4x + 9).
The correct equation to choose from the given options is: y = −1/4 x + 9.