Question ID 1adb39f0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: 1adb39f0
The scatterplot shows the relationship between two variables, x and y. A line of
best fit for the data is also shown. Which of the following is closest to the
difference between the y-coordinate of the data point with and the y-value
predicted by the line of best fit at ?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 5
D. 12
ID: 1adb39f0 Answer
Correct Answer:
A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. The data point with has a y-coordinate of 12. The y-value predicted by the line of best fit at
is approximately 11. The difference between the y-coordinate of the data point and the y-value predicted by the line of best fit
at is , or 1.
Choices B and C are incorrect and may result from incorrectly reading the scatterplot. Choice D is incorrect. This is the y-
coordinate of the data point at .
Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID 9a144a01
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: 9a144a01
Which of the following is true about the values of and
for ?
A. For all , it is true that .
B. For all , it is true that .
C. There is a constant c such that if , then , but if , then .
D. There is a constant c such that if , then , but if , then .
ID: 9a144a01 Answer
Correct Answer:
C
Rationale
Choice C is correct. At , the value of is less than the value of , which is equivalent to . As
the value of x increases, the value of remains less than the value of until , which is when the two values are
equal: , which is equivalent to . Then, for , the value of is greater than the value of . So
there is a constant, 3, such that when , then , but when , then .
Choice A is incorrect because when . Choice B is incorrect because when . Choice D
is incorrect because when and when .
Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID 03a16790
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: 03a16790
The scatterplot shows the relationship between two variables, and . A line of best fit is also shown.
Which of the following is closest to the slope of the line of best fit shown?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 03a16790 Answer
Correct Answer:
B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. A line of best fit is shown in the scatterplot such that as the value of increases, the value of
decreases. Thus, the slope of the line of best fit shown is negative. The slope of a line passing through two points,
and , can be calculated as . The line of best fit shown passes approximately through the points and
. Substituting and for and , respectively, in gives , which is equivalent to
, or . Therefore, of the given choices, is closest to the slope of the line of best fit shown.
Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual or calculation errors.
Choice C is incorrect. The line of best fit shown has a negative slope, not a positive slope.
Choice D is incorrect. The line of best fit shown has a negative slope, not a positive slope.
Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID d6af3572
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: d6af3572
The scatterplot above shows the federal-mandated minimum wage every 10 years
between 1940 and 2010. A line of best fit is shown, and its equation is
. What does the line of best fit predict about the increase in the
minimum wage over the 70-year period?
A. Each year between 1940 and 2010, the average increase in minimum wage was 0.096 dollars.
B. Each year between 1940 and 2010, the average increase in minimum wage was 0.49 dollars.
C. Every 10 years between 1940 and 2010, the average increase in minimum wage was 0.096 dollars.
D. Every 10 years between 1940 and 2010, the average increase in minimum wage was 0.488 dollars.
ID: d6af3572 Answer
Correct Answer:
A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. The given equation is in slope-intercept form, or , where m is the value of the slope of the
line of best fit. Therefore, the slope of the line of best fit is 0.096. From the definition of slope, it follows that an increase of 1
in the x-value corresponds to an increase of 0.096 in the y-value. Therefore, the line of best fit predicts that for each year
between 1940 and 2010, the minimum wage will increase by 0.096 dollar per hour.
Choice B is incorrect and may result from using the y-coordinate of the y-intercept as the average increase, instead of the
slope. Choice C is incorrect and may result from using the 10-year increments given on the x-axis to incorrectly interpret the
slope of the line of best fit. Choice D is incorrect and may result from using the y-coordinate of the y-intercept as the average
increase, instead of the slope, and from using the 10-year increments given on the x-axis to incorrectly interpret the slope of
the line of best fit.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID f46139df
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: f46139df
The scatterplot shows the relationship between two variables, and . A line of best fit for the data is also shown.
At , which of the following is closest to the y-value predicted by the line of best fit?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: f46139df Answer
Correct Answer:
C
Rationale
Choice C is correct. On the line of best fit, an x-value of corresponds to a y-value between and . Therefore, at
, is closest to the y-value predicted by the line of best fit.
Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.
Choice B is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.
Choice D is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.
Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID 7ac5d686
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: 7ac5d686
An inspector begins a day of work with a large sample of shirts that need to be
checked for defects. The inspector works at a constant rate throughout the
morning. What type of model is best to model the number of shirts remaining to be
checked for defects at any given time throughout the morning?
A. A linear model with a positive slope
B. A linear model with a negative slope
C. An exponential growth model
D. An exponential decay model
ID: 7ac5d686 Answer
Rationale
Choice B is correct. Since the work is done at a constant rate, a linear model best models the situation. The number of shirts
remaining is dependent on the length of time the inspector has worked; therefore, if the relationship were graphed, time
would be the variable of the horizontal axis and the number of remaining shirts would be the variable of the vertical axis.
Since the number of shirts decreases as the time worked increases, it follows that the slope of this graph is negative.
Choice A is incorrect and may result from incorrectly reasoning about the slope. Choices C and D are incorrect and may
result from not identifying the constant rate of work as a characteristic of a linear model.
Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID 1e1027a7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: 1e1027a7
The scatterplot above shows a company’s ice cream sales d, in dollars, and the
high temperature t, in degrees Celsius (°C), on 12 different days. A line of best fit
for the data is also shown. Which of the following could be an equation of the line
of best fit?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 1e1027a7 Answer
Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. On the line of best fit, d increases from approximately 480 to 880 between and . The slope
of the line of best fit is the difference in d-values divided by the difference in t-values, which gives , or
approximately 33. Writing the equation of the line of best fit in slope-intercept form gives , where b is the y-
coordinate of the y-intercept. This equation is satisfied by all points on the line, so when . Thus,
, which is equivalent to . Subtracting 396 from both sides of this equation gives .
Therefore, an equation for the line of best fit could be .
Choice A is incorrect and may result from an error in calculating the slope and misidentifying the y-coordinate of the y-
intercept of the graph as the value of d at rather than the value of d at . Choice B is incorrect and may result
from using the smallest value of t on the graph as the slope and misidentifying the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the
graph as the value of d at rather than the value of d at . Choice C is incorrect and may result from misidentifying
the y-coordinate of the y-intercept as the smallest value of d on the graph.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 7fd284ac
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: 7fd284ac
The scatterplot above shows data for ten charities along with the line of best fit. For the charity with the greatest percent of
total expenses spent on programs, which of the following is closest to the difference of the actual percent and the percent
predicted by the line of best fit?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 7fd284ac Answer
Correct Answer:
B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. The charity with the greatest percent of total expenses spent on programs is represented by the highest
point on the scatterplot; this is the point that has a vertical coordinate slightly less than halfway between 90 and 95 and a
horizontal coordinate slightly less than halfway between 3,000 and 4,000. Thus, the charity represented by this point has a
total income of about $3,400 million and spends about 92% of its total expenses on programs. The percent predicted by the
line of best fit is the vertical coordinate of the point on the line of best fit with horizontal coordinate $3,400 million; this
vertical coordinate is very slightly more than 85. Thus, the line of best fit predicts that the charity with the greatest percent of
total expenses spent on programs will spend slightly more than 85% on programs. Therefore, the difference between the
actual percent (92%) and the prediction (slightly more than 85%) is slightly less than 7%.
Choice A is incorrect. There is no charity represented in the scatterplot for which the difference between the actual percent
of total expenses spent on programs and the percent predicted by the line of best fit is as much as 10%. Choices C and D are
incorrect. These choices may result from misidentifying in the scatterplot the point that represents the charity with the
greatest percent of total expenses spent on programs.
Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID 3d985614
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: 3d985614
Each dot in the scatterplot above represents the height x, in feet, in the high jump,
and the distance y, in feet, in the long jump, made by each student in a group of
twenty students. The graph of which of the following equations is a line that most
closely fits the data?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 3d985614 Answer
Correct Answer:
C
Rationale
Choice C is correct. A line that most closely fits the data is a line with an approximately balanced number of data points
above and below the line. Fitting a line to the data shown results in a line with an approximate slope of 3 and a y-intercept
near the point . An equation for the line can be written in slope-intercept form, , where m is the slope and b
is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept. The equation in choice C fits the data most closely.
Choices A and B are incorrect because the slope of the lines of these equations is 0.82, which is a value that is too small to
be the slope of the line that fits the data shown. Choice D is incorrect. The graph of this equation has a y-intercept at
, not . This line would lie below all of the data points, and therefore would not closely fit the data.
Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID 7b52985c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: 7b52985c
The scatterplot shows the relationship between the length of time , in hours, a certain bird spent in flight and the number of
days after January , .
What is the average rate of change, in hours per day, of the length of time the bird spent in flight on January to the length
of time the bird spent in flight on January ?
ID: 7b52985c Answer
Correct Answer:
4.5, 9/2
Rationale
The correct answer is . It's given that the scatterplot shows the relationship between the length of time , in hours, a
certain bird spent in flight and the number of days after January , . Since January is days after January , it
follows that January corresponds to an x-value of in the scatterplot. In the scatterplot, when , the corresponding
value of is . In other words, on January , the bird spent hours in flight. Since January is days after January , it
follows that January corresponds to an x-value of in the scatterplot. In the scatterplot, when , the corresponding
value of is . In other words, on January , the bird spent hours in flight. Therefore, the average rate of change, in
hours per day, of the length of time the bird spent in flight on January to the length of time the bird spent in flight on
January is the difference in the length of time, in hours, the bird spent in flight divided by the difference in the number of
days after January , or , which is equivalent to . Note that 9/2 and 4.5 are examples of ways to enter a correct
answer.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 3c5b19ef
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: 3c5b19ef
The scatterplot above shows the number of visitors to a railroad museum in
Pennsylvania each year from 1968 to 1980, where t is the number of years since
1968 and n is the number of visitors. A line of best fit is also shown. Which of the
following could be an equation of the line of best fit shown?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 3c5b19ef Answer
Correct Answer:
A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. An equation of a line of best fit can be written in the form , where a is the y-intercept of the
line and b is the slope. In the scatterplot shown, the line of best fit intersects the y-axis just over halfway between 10,000 and
20,000, or approximately 16,000. The line of best fit also intersects the graph at . Using the slope formula
and two points that lie on the graph such as and , the slope can be approximated as
, or 4,800. Only choice A has a y-intercept near the estimate of 16,000 and a slope near the estimate of
4,800. Therefore, an equation of the line of best fit could be .
Choice B is incorrect because the values for the slope and the y-coordinate of the y-intercept are switched. Choice C is
incorrect because the value for the slope is approximately double the actual slope. Choice D is incorrect because the values
for the slope and the y-intercept are switched and because the slope is approximately double the actual slope.
Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID d0430601
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: d0430601
Each dot in the scatterplot above represents the temperature and the number of
people who visited a beach in Lagos, Nigeria, on one of eleven different days. The
line of best fit for the data is also shown. The line of best fit for the data has a
slope of approximately 57. According to this estimate, how many additional people
per day are predicted to visit the beach for each 5°C increase in average
temperature?
ID: d0430601 Answer
Rationale
The correct answer is 285. The number of people predicted to visit the beach each day is represented by the y-values of the
line of best fit, and the average temperature, in degrees Celsius ( ), is represented by the x-values. Since the slope of the
line of best fit is approximately 57, the y-value, or the number of people predicted to visit the beach each day, increases by 57
for every x-value increase of 1, or every increase in average temperature. Therefore, an increase of in average
temperature corresponds to a y-value increase of additional people per day predicted to visit the beach.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID ab7740a8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: ab7740a8
In which of the following tables is the relationship between the values of x and
their corresponding y-values nonlinear?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: ab7740a8 Answer
Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. The relationship between the values of x and their corresponding y-values is nonlinear if the rate of
change between these pairs of values isn’t constant. The table for choice D gives four pairs of values: , , ,
and . Finding the rate of change, or slope, between and by using the slope formula, , yields
, or 6. Finding the rate of change between and yields , or 12. Finding the rate of change
between and yields , or 24. Since the rate of change isn’t constant for these pairs of values, this table
shows a nonlinear relationship.
Choices A, B, and C are incorrect. The rate of change between the values of x and their corresponding y-values in each of
these tables is constant, being 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Therefore, each of these tables shows a linear relationship.
Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID e821a26d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: e821a26d
The scatterplot below shows the amount of electric energy generated, in millions of megawatt-hours, by nuclear sources
over a 10‑year period.
Of the following equations, which best models the data in the scatterplot?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: e821a26d Answer
Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is correct. The data in the scatterplot roughly fall in the shape of a downward-opening parabola; therefore, the
coefficient for the term must be negative. Based on the location of the data points, the y-intercept of the parabola should
be somewhere between 740 and 760. Therefore, of the equations given, the best model is
.
Choices A and C are incorrect. The positive coefficient of the term means that these equations each define upward-
opening parabolas, whereas a parabola that fits the data in the scatterplot must open downward. Choice B is incorrect
because it defines a parabola with a y-intercept that has a negative y-coordinate, whereas a parabola that fits the data in the
scatterplot must have a y-intercept with a positive y-coordinate.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 9eb896c5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: 9eb896c5
Which of the following could be the equation for a line of best fit for the
data shown in the scatterplot above?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 9eb896c5 Answer
Correct Answer:
A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. The data show a strong linear relationship between x and y. The line of best fit for a set of data is a linear
equation that minimizes the distances from the data points to the line. An equation for the line of best fit can be written in
slope-intercept form, , where m is the slope of the graph of the line and b is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept
of the graph. Since, for the data shown, the y-values increase as the x-values increase, the slope of a line of best fit must be
positive. The data shown lie almost in a line, so the slope can be roughly estimated using the formula for slope,
. The leftmost and rightmost data points have coordinates of about and , so the slope is
approximately , which is a little greater than 3. Extension of the line to the left would intersect the y-axis at
about . Only choice A represents a line with a slope close to 3 and a y-intercept close to .
Choice B is incorrect and may result from switching the slope and y-intercept. The line with a y-intercept of and a slope
of 0.8 is farther from the data points than the line with a slope of 3 and a y-intercept of . Choices C and D are
incorrect. They represent lines with negative slopes, not positive slopes.
Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID 79137c1b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: 79137c1b
The scatterplot above shows the size x and the sale price y of 25 houses for sale in
Town H. Which of the following could be an equation for a line of best fit for the
data?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: 79137c1b Answer
Correct Answer:
B
Rationale
Choice B is correct. From the shape of the cluster of points, the line of best fit should pass roughly through the points
and . Therefore, these two points can be used to find an approximate equation for the line of best fit. The
slope of this line of best fit is therefore , or 100. The equation for the line of best fit, in slope-
intercept form, is for some value of b. Using the point , 1 can be substituted for x and 200 can be
substituted for y: , or . Substituting this value into the slope-intercept form of the equation gives
.
Choice A is incorrect. The line defined by passes through the points and , both of which
are well above the cluster of points, so it cannot be a line of best fit. Choice C is incorrect. The line defined by
passes through the points and , both of which lie at the bottom of the cluster of points, so it cannot be a line
of best fit. Choice D is incorrect and may result from correctly calculating the slope of a line of best fit but incorrectly
assuming the y-intercept is at .
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID fdfc90e4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: fdfc90e4
The scatterplot shows the relationship between two variables, and . A line of best fit for the data is also shown.
At , which of the following is closest to the y-value predicted by the line of best fit?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ID: fdfc90e4 Answer
Correct Answer:
C
Rationale
Choice C is correct. At , the line of best fit has a y-value between and . The only choice with a value between and
is choice C.
Choice A is incorrect. This is the difference between the y-value predicted by the line of best fit and the actual y-value at
rather than the y-value predicted by the line of best fit at .
Choice B is incorrect. This is the y-value predicted by the line of best fit at rather than at .
Choice D is incorrect. This is the y-value predicted by the line of best fit at rather than at .
Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID af142f8d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: af142f8d
Amount invested Balance increase
Account A $500 6% annual interest
Account B $1,000 $25 per year
Two investments were made as shown in the table above. The interest in Account
A is compounded once per year. Which of the following is true about the
investments?
A. Account A always earns more money per year than Account B.
B. Account A always earns less money per year than Account B.
C. Account A earns more money per year than Account B at first but eventually earns less money per year.
D. Account A earns less money per year than Account B at first but eventually earns more money per year.
ID: af142f8d Answer
Correct Answer:
A
Rationale
Choice A is correct. Account A starts with $500 and earns interest at 6% per year, so in the first year Account A earns (500)
(0.06) = $30, which is greater than the $25 that Account B earns that year. Compounding interest can be modeled by an
increasing exponential function, so each year Account A will earn more money than it did the previous year. Therefore, each
year Account A earns at least $30 in interest. Since Account B always earns $25 each year, Account A always earns more
money per year than Account B.
Choices B and D are incorrect. Account A earns $30 in the first year, which is greater than the $25 Account B earns in the first
year. Therefore, neither the statement that Account A always earns less money per year than Account B nor the statement
that Account A earns less money than Account B at first can be true. Choice C is incorrect. Since compounding interest can
be modeled by an increasing exponential function, each year Account A will earn more money than it did the previous year.
Therefore, Account A always earns at least $30 per year, which is more than the $25 per year that Account B earns.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 9d95e7ad
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Math Problem-Solving and Two-variable data:
Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots
ID: 9d95e7ad
The scatterplot above shows the numbers of grams of both total protein and total fat for eight sandwiches on a restaurant
menu. The line of best fit for the data is also shown. According to the line of best fit, which of the following is closest to the
predicted increase in total fat, in grams, for every increase of 1 gram in total protein?
A. 2.5
B. 2.0
C. 1.5
D. 1.0
ID: 9d95e7ad Answer
Correct Answer:
C
Rationale
Choice C is correct. The predicted increase in total fat, in grams, for every increase of 1 gram in total protein is represented
by the slope of the line of best fit. Any two points on the line can be used to calculate the slope of the line as the change in
total fat over the change in total protein. For instance, it can be estimated that the points and are on the line
of best fit, and the slope of the line that passes through them is , or 1.4. Of the choices given, 1.5 is the
closest to the slope of the line of best fit.
Choices A, B, and D are incorrect and may be the result of incorrectly finding ordered pairs that lie on the line of best fit or of
incorrectly calculating the slope.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
