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| Student Learning Objectives: |
|---|
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| | 9 Theory slides |
| | 7 Exercises - Grade E - A |
| | Each lesson is meant to take 1-2 classroom sessions |
The following applet shows three graphs — each with a set of points distributed on a coordinate plane.
Magdalena is fascinated by her local aquatic park and is eager to analyze how temperatures influence attendance. The following graph represents the data she collected — the average number of people that attend the park at specific temperatures.
Valuable conclusions and predictions are made about a situation based on collected data. Before such statements can be made, the data is analyzed by using tools such as graphs. A scatter plot, for example, is used to identify the correlation between a pair of data sets.
A scatter plot is a graph that shows each observation of a bivariate data set as an ordered pair in a coordinate plane. Consider the following example, where a scatter plot illustrates the results gathered at a local ice cream parlor. This study records the number of ice creams sold and the corresponding air temperature.
A correlation is a relation between two data sets. For example, consider two data sets, one consisting of temperatures and the other consisting of the number of coats sold. A decrease in the temperature may imply an increase in the number of coats sold. Based on the trend of the bivariate data, three types of correlations are possible which can be described using scatter plots.
Knowing the type of correlation helps analyze trends and make predictions based on data. Furthermore, the shape of the patterns formed by positive and negative correlations can be thought to have a positive and negative slope, respectively. The applet below shows how a data set transforms from a random pattern to a positive or a negative correlation.
The following applet shows different scatter plots. Select the type of correlation that matches the scatter plot shown.
Once the scatter plot of a data set is drawn and the type of correlation is identified, predictions can be made about the trend of the data by using lines of fit.
When data sets have a positive or negative correlation, the trend of the data can be modeled using a line of fit, also called a trend line. This line is drawn on a scatter plot near most of the data points, which appear evenly distributed above and below the line.
The scatter plot above shows the mean weights of kittens from the same litter in relation to their age. In this case, a line of fit could be drawn quite seamlessly. When drawing a line of fit, the following characteristics should be considered.
At an aquatic park, a student-volunteer named Tadeo noticed a dedicated person who swims long distances in the lazy lagoon every Saturday morning.
Tadeo is amazed and wants to analyze how many calories the swimmer burns compared to the distance swam. He observes and records the swimmer diligently.
| Distance (km) | Calories Burned |
|---|---|
| 16 | 980 |
| 15 | 880 |
| 14 | 860 |
| 13 | 740 |
| 12 | 720 |
| 11 | 680 |
| 10 | 595 |
| 9 | 560 |
| 8 | 490 |
| 7 | 400 |
| 6 | 380 |
For this case, the points ( 4, 310) and ( 16, 910) will be used. Substituting these points into the Slope Formula will give the slope of the line. Note that the points on the line do not necessarily match the data on the data set.
Now that the slope is known, the equation in point-slope form of a line can be used to find a partial equation of the line of fit. y-y_1&=m(x-x_1) &⇓ y-y_1&= 50(x-x_1) To complete the equation, any of the two points can be substituted above. For simplicity, ( 4, 310) will be used.
Zosia and Vincenzo are poster designers at the aquatic park. Right now, they are promoting a 3D movie about the life of dolphins called Above and Below the Line.
They recorded the number of tickets sold each week with the purpose of using the data to determine whether they should continue to advertise the movie on a billboard. The scatter plot shows the collected data.
y=mx+b In this equation, m is the slope and b the y-intercept of the line. The slope of the line of fit can be found by using the Slope Formula. m=y_2-y_1/x_2-x_1 The points ( 1, 500) and ( 7, 350) are on the line of fit. This means that they can be substituted in the above formula.
Substitute ( 1,500) & ( 7,350)
Subtract terms
Put minus sign in front of fraction
Calculate quotient
The slope m= -25 can be substituted to obtain a partial equation of the line of fit. y=mx+b substitute y= -25x+b Now, the y-intercept can be found by substituting any of the points into the partial equation. In this case, ( 1, 500) will be used.
x= 1, y= 500
Identity Property of Multiplication
LHS+25=RHS+25
Rearrange equation
Finally, the equation of the line of fit can be completed by substituting 525 for b. y=-25x+b substitute y=-25x+ 525
In week 12 the expected number of tickets sold is 237 000, which is greater than the minimum required by Vincenzo and Zosia. Therefore, they may decide to keep the movie on the billboard for at least two more weeks.
In this lesson, it was taught how to analyze bivariate data using scatter plots and lines of fit. These mathematical concepts can now be used to solve the Challenge. It is now recognizable that Magdalena created a scatter plot to show the aquatic park visitors in relation to the temperatures.
Help Magdalena predict if more than 10 000 people are expected to attend the park next week, given that the temperature will be around 110^(∘)F. Justify the prediction.
By finding the equation of the line of fit, it can be predicted how many people would attend the park if the temperature is about 110^(∘)F. To do so, the equation in slope-intercept form of a line can be used. y=mx+b In this equation, m is the slope and b the y-intercept of the line. The slope can be calculated by using the Slope Formula. m = y_2-y_1/x_2-x_1 Because the points ( 70, 7000) and ( 80, 8000) are on the line of fit, they will be used to find the slope.
Now, the slope m= 100 can be substituted to obtain a partial equation of the line of fit. y=mx+b substitute y= 100x+b By substituting one of the points on the line of fit, the y-intercept can be found. In this case, ( 70, 7000) will be used.
Therefore, the y-intercept b is 0. With this information, the equation of the line of fit can be written. y=100x+b substitute y&=100x+ 0 y&=100x Finally, using this equation, the number of people that would attend the park if the temperature is about 110^(∘)F can be predicted. To do so, the equation needs to be evaluated for x=110.
It is expected that more than 10 000 people will attend the park next week. What a brilliant way to make a prediction. Magdalena has really helped the aquatic park prepare for the influx of visitors surely to come.
A linear equation in point-slope form with slope m and y-intercept b has the following format. y= mx+ b To write an equation for the line of fit, we first need to determine the slope of the line. To do so we will substitute the given points into the Slope Formula.
We can substitute the slope m= 10 to obtain a partial equation of the line of fit. y= mx+b [ m= 10]Substitute y= 10x+b Next, we wil substitute one of the points on the line of fit and solve the equation for b to find the y-intercept. Let's use ( 2, 25)
We can now complete the equation for the line of fit. y=10x+ b [ b= 5]Substitute y=10x+ 5
Consider the equation of the line of fit found in the previous part. y=10x+5 We will use this equation to calculate the expected attendance number in 2023. Since the year 2023 is 23 years after 2000, we will evaluate the equation when x= 23 to predict attendance in the year 2023.
Since the number of attendance is given in thousands, we can predict that the average attendance in 2023 will be about 235 000 people.
Examine each of the given situations and decide which one does not belong to the group. A.& Hours worked and amount of money earned B.& Height of a student and favorite food C.& Amount of ice cream sold and temperature D.& Time spent running and calories burned
We will analyze each situation separately to determine which one is different from the others.
The first situation talks about the hours worked and the amount of money earned. Usually, the amount of money someone earns depends on the number of hours worked. This means that this situation indicates a positive correlation.
The second situation is about the height of a student and his favorite food. Note that favorite foods depend on a personal preference, not genetics. This means there is no correlation between the variables in this situation.
We will now analyze the third situation. Generally, people tend to seek a cool treat like ice cream when it is hot. This means that there is a positive correlation in this situation. As the temperature increases, the amount of ice cream sold increases.
When doing exercise like running, we burn calories. Furthermore, while more time is spent on exercise, more calories are expected to burn. This indicates a positive correlation between the variables in this situation.
We have analyzed each situation. Let's summarize this information in a table.
| Situation | Description | Correlation |
|---|---|---|
| A | Hours worked and amount of money earned. | Positive Correlation |
| B | Height of a student and favorite food. | No Correlation |
| C | Number of ice creams sold and temperature. | Positive Correlation |
| D | Time spent running and calories burned. | Positive Correlation |
We can see that the variables given for each case are positively correlated, except for B. Therefore, B does not belong to the group.