Project Option 1—Individually

Intro:

There are many measurements of the human body that are positively correlated. For example, the
length of one's forearm (measured from elbow to wrist) is approximately the same length as the foot
(measured from heel to toe). They are positively correlated because as one measurement increases, so
does the other measurement.

You will discover through this project whether a human's arm span (measured across the body with the
arms extended) is correlated to his height.

You will need to collect data from 11 people, which will give you 12 data points including your own
personal data. You may use the sample data below, if you do not have 11 people to measure. Do not
forget to add your own data and this data to the chart below so that you have a total of 12.

5.06 Scatter Plots and Line of Best Fit

Part One: Measurements

Measure your own height and arm span (from finger-tip to finger-tip) in inches. You will likely need some
help from a parent, guardian, or sibling to get accurate measurements. After measuring yourself,
Measure eleven additional people and record their arm spans and heights in inches.

Record your measurements below:

Name Relationship to Student Arm Span in Inches Height in Inches

5.06 Scatter Plots and Line of Best Fit

Part Two: Representing Data with Plots

Using graphing software of your choice

1. Create a scatter plot of your data. Copy and paste your scatter plot below:

2. Predict the line of best fit, and sketch it on your graph. Copy and paste your scatter plot with the
line of best fit below:

Part Three: The Line of Best Fit

1) Which variable did you plot on the x-axis and which variable did you plot on the y-axis? Explain why
you assigned the variables in that way.

5.06 Scatter Plots and Line of Best Fit

2) Write the equation of the line of best fit using the slope-intercept formula y = mx + b. Show all your
work, including the points used to determine the slope and how the equation was determined.
A) Pick any two point on your line of best fit. Write the coordinates of your two points below:

Point 1 ( , ) Point 2 ( , )

y 2− y 1
B) Using the two point above find the slope using the formula m=
x 2−x 1

C) Plug in your slope found in ‘b’ above and the coordinates of point one found in ‘a’ above into
you slope-intercept formula y = mx + b and solve for b.

D) Write the equation of the line of best fit by plugging in your slope found in ‘b’ and you y-
intercept found in ‘c’ above into you slope-intercept form y = mx + b.

3) What does the slope of the line represent within the context of your graph? What does the
y-intercept represent?

5.06 Scatter Plots and Line of Best Fit

4) Test the residuals of two other points to determine how well the line of best fit models the data.

Arm Span Height Height from equation Residual (Actual height-

Height from equation)

5) Use the line of best fit to help you to describe the data correlation:

6) Using the line of best fit that you found in Part 3, Question 2d, approximate how tall is a person
whose arm span is 66 inches:

7) According to your line of best fit, what is the arm span of a 74-inch-tall person:

5.06 Scatter Plots and Line of Best Fit