Suppose you are shown two scatterplots: Scatterplot A shows a strong upward trend with points closely clustered around a straight line, while Scatterplot B shows points widely scattered with no apparent pattern. Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the graphs?

• A. Both scatterplots indicate a perfect positive linear correlation.
• B. Scatterplot A suggests no relationship, while Scatterplot B suggests a strong positive linear correlation.
• C. Both scatterplots indicate a strong negative linear correlation.
• D. Scatterplot A suggests a strong positive linear correlation, while Scatterplot B suggests little to no correlation.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand what a scatterplot represents: it shows the relationship between two variables by plotting data points on a coordinate plane.
2. Recognize that a strong upward trend with points closely clustered around a straight line indicates a strong positive linear correlation. This means as one variable increases, the other tends to increase as well.
3. Note that points widely scattered with no apparent pattern suggest little to no correlation, meaning there is no clear linear relationship between the variables.
4. Recall that a perfect positive linear correlation would have all points exactly on a straight line with a positive slope, which is not the case in either scatterplot.
5. Conclude that Scatterplot A shows a strong positive linear correlation, while Scatterplot B shows little to no correlation, matching the description given.