Question

select the correct answer
the national weather service collects data on the number of hours of consecutive rainfall and the number of minor traffic accidents in a particular city. the scatter plot shows the data it gathered and the line of best fit.
minor traffic
accidents vs. rainfall
number of minor traffic accidents
consecutive hours of rainfall

Explanation:

Step1: Identify the variables

The x - axis represents "Consecutive Hours of Rainfall" and the y - axis represents "Number of Minor Traffic Accidents". The line of best fit is a straight line with a negative slope, indicating a negative correlation between the two variables.

Step2: Analyze the trend

As the number of consecutive hours of rainfall (x - value) increases, the number of minor traffic accidents (y - value) decreases. This is a linear relationship shown by the line of best fit and the scatter plot points. If we were to find the equation of the line of best fit, we could use two points on the line. For example, when x = 0, y = 9 (intercept) and when x = 9, y = 0. The slope \(m=\frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1}=\frac{0 - 9}{9 - 0}=- 1\). So the equation of the line of best fit is \(y=-x + 9\) (or \(y = 9 - x\)).

(Note: Since the original question was not fully stated, assuming we need to analyze the scatter plot and the line of best fit. If the question was about predicting the number of accidents for a certain number of hours or finding the relationship, this is the analysis. If the question was missing, but based on the graph, this is the breakdown of the linear relationship.)

Answer:

The relationship between consecutive hours of rainfall and minor traffic accidents is a negative linear relationship, with the equation of the line of best fit being \(y=-x + 9\) (or \(y = 9 - x\))