Question

Which scenarios have a negative correlation? Check all that apply.

the number of calories consumed and the amount of weight lost by a person
the temperature outside and the number of pool guests
the number of children assigned to a class and the number of desks
the price of rice and the number of penguins at the South Pole
the thickness of the ice on a lake and the likelihood of falling through the ice

Answer 1

Negative correlation means when one variable increases, the other tends to decrease. The scenarios with a negative correlation are:

- the number of calories consumed and the amount of weight lost by a person (more calories → less weight loss)
- the thickness of the ice on a lake and the likelihood of falling through the ice (thicker ice → lower chance of falling through)

The others are either positive correlation (temperature vs. pool guests; children vs. desks) or essentially unrelated (price of rice vs. penguin count).