Rolf makes a scatterplot and draws a line with a negative slope to create the line of best fit which could be the two quantitative variables he used? A. Size of a cat and number of paws b. Age of an adult and number of times the adult has voted c. Outdoor temperature in Fahrenheit on a given day and number of people in the world d. Number of miles a family drives on a trip to a nearby city and distance in miles the family still needs to drive

1 answer

Given the characteristics of a scatterplot with a line of best fit that has a negative slope, we need to identify which pair of quantitative variables has an inverse relationship. Let’s evaluate the options provided:

a. Size of a cat and number of paws - These variables are not likely to have a negative relationship, as the number of paws for cats is generally constant regardless of size.

b. Age of an adult and number of times the adult has voted - Typically, as age increases, the number of times an adult has voted would also increase, indicating a positive relationship rather than a negative one.

c. Outdoor temperature in Fahrenheit on a given day and number of people in the world - These variables are not likely to be directly related in a meaningful way, and certainly not in a manner that suggests an inverse relationship.

d. Number of miles a family drives on a trip to a nearby city and distance in miles the family still needs to drive - This represents an inverse relationship: the more miles the family drives, the fewer miles they have left to their destination, which aligns with a negative slope.

Thus, the most appropriate answer is:

d. Number of miles a family drives on a trip to a nearby city and distance in miles the family still needs to drive.