Let’s go step by step to figure out the correlation and estimate the r value for each scatter plot.
First, remember:
- If points go
up from left to right →
positive correlation (r is between 0 and 1)
- If points go
down from left to right →
negative correlation (r is between -1 and 0)
- If points are all over the place with no pattern →
no correlation (r = 0)
- The closer the points are to forming a straight line, the stronger the correlation (closer to 1 or -1).
- If points are spread out but still show a general direction, it’s weaker (closer to 0).
Now let’s look at each example:
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Example 1:
Points generally go up from left to right → positive correlation.
They’re somewhat close to a line, but not super tight → moderate to strong positive.
Estimate: r ≈ 0.7
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Example 2:
Points are scattered everywhere — no clear up or down trend → no correlation.
Estimate: r ≈ 0
---
Example 3:
Points go down from left to right → negative correlation.
They form a pretty tight line → strong negative.
Estimate: r ≈ -0.9
---
Example 4:
Points go up from left to right → positive correlation.
They’re very close to a straight line → very strong positive.
Estimate: r ≈ 0.95
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Final Answer:
1. Positive correlation, r ≈ 0.7
2. No correlation, r ≈ 0
3. Negative correlation, r ≈ -0.9
4. Positive correlation, r ≈ 0.95
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of scatter plot worksheet.
