Suppose you are shown four scatterplots, each with a calculated correlation coefficient. Which of the following correlation coefficients indicates the strongest linear relationship between the two variables?

• A. $-0.10$
• B. $0.85$
• C. $-0.60$
• D. $0.30$

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that the strength of a linear relationship between two variables is measured by the absolute value of the correlation coefficient, denoted as \(|r|\), where \(r\) ranges from \(-1\) to \$1$.
2. Identify the given correlation coefficients: \(-0.10\), \$0.85\(, \)-0.60\(, and \)0.30$.
3. Calculate the absolute value of each correlation coefficient to assess the strength without regard to direction: \(|{-0.10}| = 0.10\), \(|0.85| = 0.85\), \(|{-0.60}| = 0.60\), and \(|0.30| = 0.30\).
4. Compare these absolute values to determine which is the largest, since a larger absolute value indicates a stronger linear relationship.
5. Conclude that the correlation coefficient with the greatest absolute value corresponds to the strongest linear relationship between the two variables.