Data was collected on the weight, in ounces, of kittens for the first three months after birth. A line of fit was drawn through the scatter plot and had the equation w = 4.05 + 0.4d, where w is the weight of the kitten in ounces and d is the age of the kitten in days.

Question

What is the w-intercept of the line of fit and its meaning in terms of the scenario?

4.05; for each additional day after the kitten is born, its weight is predicted to increase by 4.05 ounces
4.05; a kitten who is just born is predicted to weigh 4.05 ounces
0.4; for each additional day after the kitten is born, its weight is predicted to increase by 0.4 ounces
0.4; a kitten who is just born is predicted to weigh 0.4 ounces

Answer 1

The w-intercept of the line of fit is 4.05. In terms of the scenario, this means that when the age of the kitten \( d \) is 0 days (i.e., when the kitten is just born), the predicted weight \( w \) is 4.05 ounces.

Therefore, the correct interpretation is:

4.05; a kitten who is just born is predicted to weigh 4.05 ounces.