The table shows the mean driving speed of drivers in a 55mph zone and the number of speeding tickets they've received in the past 10 years. Plot the data in a scatterplot with speed on the x-axis. What can you determine about the relationship between mean speed and the number of speeding tickets?

• A. Positive correlation
• B. Negative correlation
• C. Nonlinear correlation
• D. No correlation

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Begin by identifying the variables in the table. The 'Mean Speed' is the independent variable (x-axis), and the '# Tickets' is the dependent variable (y-axis). This is because the number of tickets depends on the driving speed.
2. Step 2: Create a scatterplot. Plot each pair of values from the table as a point on the graph. For example, the first pair (63, 4) would be plotted with 63 on the x-axis and 4 on the y-axis.
3. Step 3: Continue plotting all the pairs from the table: (59, 5), (65, 3), (47, 1), (53, 0), (57, 2), (78, 6), (67, 3), (62, 2), and (56, 1). Ensure the axes are labeled appropriately and scaled to fit the data.
4. Step 4: Analyze the scatterplot visually. Look for patterns or trends in the data points. If the points tend to rise together (as x increases, y also increases), this suggests a positive correlation. If the points fall together, it suggests a negative correlation.
5. Step 5: Based on the visual analysis, determine the type of correlation. If the points do not follow a clear linear pattern, it may suggest a nonlinear correlation or no correlation. In this case, the data appears to show a positive correlation, as higher speeds tend to correspond to more tickets.