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Which context could reasonably have a negative fitted slope?
a) Hours of sunlight and solar energy produced
b) Outside temperature and home-heating fuel used
c) Number of tickets sold and ticket revenue
d) Time practiced and number of practice problems completed
Hints
- Look for a pair where larger values of the first quantity tend to accompany smaller values of the second.
- Eliminate contexts in which the two quantities naturally increase together.
Solution
1. A negative fitted slope means the predicted output tends to decrease as the input increases.
2. As outside temperature rises, home-heating fuel use generally falls, so choice b) is reasonable.
Answer
b) Outside temperature and home-heating fuel used.
