Scatter plots: patterns of association

Answer Key - Grade 8 Math Worksheet

Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

1. Read this first

   Table, quiz score | minutes studied

   72 | 20, 80 | 35, 88 | 45, 91 | 60. On the scatter plot, the minutes studied go across (x) and the quiz scores go up (y).

2. 1.

   Luz's table lists each student's quiz score first, then the minutes studied. Where does the dot for the student who studied 45 minutes go, written as (x, y)?

   (45, 88)

3. Table, jump distance in centimeters | run-up steps

   150 | 3, 175 | 5, 190 | 7, 205 | 9. On the scatter plot, the run-up steps go across (x) and the jump distances go up (y).

4. 2.

   Noah's table gives each long-jump distance first, then the number of run-up steps. Where does the dot for the 7-step jump go, written as (x, y)?

   (7, 190)
5. 3.

   Jun built a snowman and measured its height each hour of a sunny day. The carrot nose held on bravely. Which sentence describes the association?

   • No association: as the number of hours goes up, the snowman's height tends neither to go up nor to go down.
   • A positive association: as the number of hours goes up, the snowman's height tends to go up.
   • A negative association: as the number of hours goes up, the snowman's height tends to go down.
6. 4.

   On a long field trip, Ren checked the miles driven and the gas left in the bus at each stop. Which sentence describes the pattern of the dots?

   • No association: the dots tend to show no clear pattern.
   • A nonlinear association: the dots tend to follow a curve, not one straight line.
   • A linear association: the dots tend to stay near one straight ruler line.
7. 5.

   Tala weighed a puppy every four weeks. The puppy now thinks the couch belongs to it. Which sentence describes the pattern of the dots?

   • A linear association: the dots tend to stay near one straight ruler line, with no bend.
   • A nonlinear association: the dots tend to follow a curve, not one straight line.
   • No association: the dots tend to show no clear pattern.
8. 6.

   Zee poured a mug of hot cocoa and measured its temperature every five minutes. Which sentence describes the pattern of the dots?

   • A linear association: the dots tend to stay near one straight ruler line.
   • No association: the dots tend to show no clear pattern.
   • A nonlinear association: the dots tend to follow a curve, not one straight line.
9. 7.

   Tala plotted hours of practice a week against free throws made for eight players. Which point is the outlier, written as (x, y)?

   (2, 13)
10. 8.

    After the lunch bell, Ari counted the kids still on the playground each minute. At one count, another class came out early. Which point is the outlier, written as (x, y)?

    (6, 47)
11. 9.

    Milo's baking club recorded the grams of flour and the number of cookies in each batch. One batch was giant cookies. Which point is the outlier, written as (x, y)?

    (300, 7)
12. 10.

    Kira timed third graders and eighth graders running 400 meters and measured their heights. The dots form two clusters. How many runners are in the cluster of taller runners?

    8