The scatterplot shows the relationship between two variables, x and y Which of the following equations is the most appropriate model for the data shown?

The scatterplot shows the relationship between two variables, x and y Which of the... | SAT Two-variable data: Models and scatterplots Practice

Context: Scatterplot showing positive linear trend from about $(1000, 500)$ to $(4500, 4500)$ .

Answer: The data follows a straight-line pattern (not curved), so exponential models are wrong. The slope is positive. Verify: at $x = 1000$ , $y = -694 + 1200 = 506$ ; at $x = 4000$ , $y = -694 + 4800 = 4106$ . Both match.

Why A: Linear model with positive slope $1.2$ fits the straight-line data. $\checkmark$

Traps:

(B) $y = 694 - 1.2x$ — negative slope; data clearly increases.
(C) $y = -694(1.2)^x$ — exponential with negative coefficient; gives negative $y$ -values.
(D) $y = 694(1.2)^x$ — exponential growth; data is linear, not curved.

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SAT Two-variable data: Models and scatterplots practice question

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