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Here are a few recommended readings before getting started with this lesson.
A line of best fit, also known as a regression line, is a line of fit that estimates the relationship between the values of a data set. The equation of the line of best fit has been determined using a strict mathematical method.
One commonly used method to determine a line of best fit is the method of least squares. The methods used to find the line of best fit are usually hard to do by hand. Therefore, a line of best fit can be found by performing a linear regression on a graphing calculator. As an example, consider the data set graphed above.
x | y |
---|---|
0.6 | 1.5 |
1.2 | 3.6 |
2.6 | 5.2 |
3.6 | 6.3 |
4.5 | 8.7 |
6 | 10.3 |
6.6 | 11.8 |
7.1 | 11.7 |
For a school project, Ramsha wants to investigate if there is a correlation between the width of a tree and its height. To do so, she measured the diameter at chest height and the height of some trees in a local park. Her findings are shown in the following table.
Diameter at chest (cm) | Height (m) |
---|---|
8 | 7 |
10 | 10 |
15 | 14 |
18 | 15 |
20 | 18 |
22 | 21 |
25 | 15 |
30 | 20 |
Edit.
Then the data values are written in the columns.
By pressing the STAT button and then selecting the CALC menu, the option LinReg(ax+b)
can be found. This option gives the line of best fit, expressed as a linear function in slope-intercept form.
Then, to graph the scatter plot push the buttons 2nd and Y=. Choose one of the plots in the list. Select the option ON,
choose the type to be a scatter plot, and assign L1 and L2 as XList
and Ylist,
respectively.
The plot can be made by pressing the button GRAPH. It is possible that after drawing the plot the window-size is not adequate for seeing all the information.
To fix this press ZOOM and select the option ZoomStat.
After doing so the window will resize to show the important information.
Use the linear regression feature of a graphing calculator to find the equation of the line of best fit for the given data set. Compare the obtained equation with the equations shown in the applet, and choose the closest one.
The following table displays some values of atmospheric pressures at different altitudes.
Altitude (thousand feet) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pressure (PSI) | 14.71 | 14.18 | 13.75 | 13.21 | 12.69 | 12.20 |
Edit.
Then the data values can be written in the columns.
Finally, by pressing the STAT button and then selecting the menu item CALC, the option LinReg(ax+b)
can be found. This option gives a line of best fit, expressed as a linear function in slope-intercept form.
To graph the scatter plot, first push the buttons 2nd and Y=. Then, choose one of the plots in the list. Select the option ON,
choose the type to be a scatter plot, and assign L1 and L2 as XList
and Ylist,
respectively.
The plot can be made by pressing the button GRAPH. It is possible that after drawing the plot the window-size is not large enough to see all of the information.
To fix this, press ZOOM and select the option ZoomStat.
After doing that, the window will resize to show the important information.
To find the value of y when x=6, press CALC (2ND and TRACE). Then press ENTER to insert the value of 6 for x. Finally, press ENTER again.
The value of the pressure at 6000 feet is about 11.7 PSI. Since all the data values are close to the line of best fit and the data is strongly correlated, it can be said that this is a good approximation of the actual value.
Davontay has a math assignment that consists of eight different exercises. He registered the time (in minutes) in which he completed the first seven exercises.
Exercise | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Time (minutes) | 4 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 8 | 15 | 5 |
Edit.
The data values can be written in the columns.
Finally, by pressing the STAT button and then selecting the menu item CALC, the option LinReg(ax+b)
can be found. This option gives a line of best fit, expressed as a linear function in slope-intercept form.
To graph the scatter plot, first push the buttons 2nd and Y=. Then, choose one of the plots in the list. Select the option ON,
choose the type to be a scatter plot, and assign L1 and L2 as XList
and Ylist,
respectively.
The plot can be made by pressing the button GRAPH. It is possible that after drawing the plot the window-size is not large enough to see all of the information.
To fix this, press ZOOM and select the option ZoomStat.
After doing that, the window will resize to show the important information.
Looking at the graph, it can be seen that the line of best fit is not close to any of the provided data points.
From Part C it can be noted that the line is not representative of the given data points. This means that these measures do not reflect the reality of the exercises.
Then, to find the value of y when x=8, press CALC (2ND and TRACE). Then press ENTER to insert the value of 8 for x. Finally, press ENTER again.
The value of y when x=8 is about 10.57. This means that Davontay will finish the eighth exercise in less than 11 minutes. Since none of the given data values are really close to the line of best fit and the data is not correlated, it can be said that this is a not good approximation for the actual value.
In this lesson it was shown how to find the line of best fit for data sets and how to make predictions using these lines. Considering the examples discussed throughout the lesson, it is possible to make two conclusions.