Asked by don

The following scatterplot displays real data for flu reporting between 1980 and 2002.

The line of best fit for the data is displayed. The equation of the line of best fit is
.



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Jaden uses the equation for
to predict the number of flu cases in 2026 by substituting
.

He estimates there will be approximately
flu cases in 2025.

Is this a good prediction for the number of flu cases in 2026? Why or why not?

Math

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
No. The fit was made to data from 1980–2002, so using it for 2026 is a long extrapolation (more than two decades beyond the last observed year). Extrapolating that far is unreliable — the linear trend may not continue, public‑health conditions and reporting practices change, and the model can give unrealistic values. A prediction for 2026 would need more recent data or a model justified for long‑term forecasting.