Exercise 3 Page 195

The attendance y (in thousands) at the amusement park from 2005 to 2014 is given as follows.

To find a line of fit for the data we will use the linear regression analysis tool in our calculator.

Finding Line of Fit

First we enter the data points in the calculator. Ppress the STAT button, and then select the option Edit. We then enter the x-values of the data values in list L_1 and the corresponding y-values in L_2.

After we have entered the values, we press the STAT button. Then we select CALC and the option LinReg(ax+b). The calculator then makes a linear regression of the data.

That gives us the following line of best fit for the data. y=-9.58788x+844.545

Approximating Attendance in 2017

We are asked to use this model to extrapolate what the approximate attendance levels will be in the year 2017. Recall that that x=0 corresponds to the year 2005. Let's find the value of x that corresponds to 2017. 2017-2005= 12 Now we can substitute 12 for x into the equation of the line of best fit.

We are also told that the y values are measured in thousands. Therefore, to express the predicted attendance, we need to multiply our answer by 1000.

If the trends remain constant, the estimated attendance at the amusement park in 2017 will be approximately 729 490 people.