A veterinarian collected data on the association between age and mass of Boxer puppies. A line of best fit was computed. The equation for the line is y=17.5x+480

Question

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Which BEST interprets the slope of the linear model?

A. Each additional day is associated with an additional 17.5 grams of mass.
B. Every 17.5 days is associated with an additional 480 grams of mass.
C. The predicted mass of a Boxer puppy at birth.
D. Each additional day is associated with an additional 480 grams of mass.

Answer 1

The slope of the linear model (17.5 in this case) represents the change in the dependent variable (mass) for each one-unit increase in the independent variable (age in days).

Given the equation \( y = 17.5x + 480 \):

• \( y \) represents the mass of the Boxer puppies in grams.
• \( x \) represents the age of the puppies in days.

Therefore, the slope of 17.5 means that for each additional day of age, the mass of the Boxer puppy is expected to increase by 17.5 grams.

Thus, the best interpretation of the slope of the linear model is:

A. Each additional day is associated with an additional 17.5 grams of mass.