A least-squares regression line is not just any line drawn through the points of a scatterplot. What is special about a least-squares regression line?
A) It passes through all the points.
B) It minimizes the squared values of the data.
C) It has slope equal to the correlation between the two variables.
D) It describes how a response variable y changes as an explanatory variable x takes different values.
E) It minimizes the sum of the squared vertical distances of the data points from the line.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A least-squares regression line is the line that minimizes the sum of the squared vertical distances of the data points from the line. This means that the distance between each data point and the line is minimized, ensuring that the line is as close as possible to all of the data points. This is what makes it special compared to other lines drawn through a scatterplot.

A Least-Squares Regression Line Is Not Just Any Line Drawn