Question

which of the following could be the best fit for the data? y = -1.5x + 20 y = x + 20 y = 0.7x + 15 y = -0.5x + 19

Explanation:

Step1: Observe data trend

If the data points show a decreasing trend, the slope of the best - fit line should be negative. If increasing, the slope should be positive.

Step2: Analyze slopes and y - intercepts

For $y=-1.5x + 20$, slope $m=-1.5$ (negative). For $y=x + 20$, slope $m = 1$ (positive). For $y = 0.7x+15$, slope $m=0.7$ (positive). For $y=-0.5x + 19$, slope $m=-0.5$ (negative). Without seeing the actual data points on the scatter - plot, assume if the data is decreasing, we can rule out positive - slope equations. Among the negative - slope equations, we need to further consider how well the y - intercepts match the general position of the data. But if we just consider the trend and assume a moderate decrease, $y=-0.5x + 19$ might be a reasonable choice as $y=-1.5x + 20$ has a steeper negative slope.

Answer:

$y=-0.5x + 19$