Question

Find the equation of the line of best fit for the points (−3, – 40), (1, 12), (5, 72), and (7, 137).
a. y = 3x + 17
b. y = 17x + 3
c. y = 3x + 1
d. y = x +

Answer 1

To find the equation of the line of best fit, we need to calculate the slope and y-intercept of the line.

First, we calculate the slope using the formula:

m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1)

Using the points (−3, – 40) and (1, 12), we have:

m = (12 - (-40)) / (1 - (-3))
= 52 / 4
= 13

Now we choose any of the given points and substitute the values of x, y, and m into the equation:

y = mx + b

Using the point (1, 12):

12 = 13(1) + b
12 = 13 + b
b = 12 - 13
b = -1

Therefore, the equation of the line of best fit is:

y = 13x - 1

None of the given options matches this equation, so there may be a typo or error in the options provided.