Question

can predictions be made of a scatterplot that shows no association? explain your answer.

Explanation:

A scatterplot with no association means the variables have no discernible relationship (no correlation, neither positive nor negative, and no pattern). Predictions rely on identifying a relationship (like linear, exponential) to estimate values. Without an association, there's no trend or pattern to use for predicting one variable from the other. So, meaningful predictions (based on the relationship) can't be made, though one could guess randomly, but that's not a valid prediction.

Answer:

No, predictions cannot be meaningfully made from a scatterplot with no association. A scatterplot with no association shows no relationship (correlation or pattern) between the variables. Predictions require a discernible trend/pattern (e.g., positive/negative correlation) to estimate one variable from the other; without an association, there’s no basis to forecast values.