Question

To create a mathematical model of several data points, you identify 𝑅² values of different regression types. You find a linear regression 𝑅² value of 0.997, a quadratic regression 𝑅² value of 0.776, a power regression 𝑅² value of 0.788, and an exponential regression 𝑅² value of 0.834. Which mathematical model would you use to best fit the data?

A) exponential model
B) linear model
C) power model
D) quadratic model

Answer 1

To determine the best mathematical model for your data, you should look for the model with the highest \( R^2 \) value, as a higher \( R^2 \) indicates a better fit to the data.

Here are the \( R^2 \) values you've provided:

- Linear regression: \( R^2 = 0.997 \)
- Quadratic regression: \( R^2 = 0.776 \)
- Power regression: \( R^2 = 0.788 \)
- Exponential regression: \( R^2 = 0.834 \)

The linear regression model has the highest \( R^2 \) value of \( 0.997 \). Therefore, the best mathematical model to fit the data is:

**B) linear model**