The "best-fitting" straight line which describes the data points in a scatterplot is the line that
A) goes through the greatest number of points
B) has the smallest y-intercept
C) has the steepest slope
D) minimizes the sum of the squared vertical distances of points from the line

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best-fitting straight line minimizes the sum of the squared vertical distances of points from the line. This is known as the method of least squares and is a commonly used technique for finding the line of best fit in regression analysis. The other choices (A, B, and C) do not necessarily result in the best-fitting line.

The "Best-Fitting" Straight Line Which Describes the Data Points in a Scatterplot