18
practice testMultiple Choice

Practice Test

Question 18 • Statistical Reasoning

The equation of the line hat y is equal to negative 14 point 7 plus 1 point 5 9 x is called the least-squares regression line because it

Answer
A
minimizes the sum of the squared vertical distances from the points to the line.
B
is least able to make accurate predictions for the data.
C
passes through each data point.
D
maximizes the sum of the squared vertical distances from the points to the line.

Explanation

A least-squares regression line is chosen to minimize the sum of the squared vertical residuals, where each residual is the difference between an observed value and the value predicted by the line. Therefore, it minimizes the sum of the squared vertical distances from the data points to the line. It does not necessarily pass through every data point.

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