Question

there is a negative correlation between the number of hours a student spends studying for an exam and the number of mistakes that student makes on the exam. which of the following scatter plots best shows this correlation?

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Negative Correlation

A negative correlation means as one variable (hours studied) increases, the other (mistakes made) decreases. So the scatter plot should show a downward - sloping trend.

Step2: Analyze the First Scatter Plot

In the first scatter plot (the upper one), as the number of hours studied (x - axis) increases from left to right, the number of mistakes made (y - axis) generally decreases. The points seem to follow a pattern where higher x (hours) corresponds to lower y (mistakes).

Step3: Analyze the Second Scatter Plot (Incomplete)

The second scatter plot (lower one) has very few points and does not show a clear trend of negative correlation as the first one does.

Answer:

The upper scatter plot (the one with more data points showing a downward trend as hours studied increase)