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SAT Math skill page

SAT Scatterplots Practice

Read the overall data pattern before calculating anything from a scatterplot.

Practice scatterplots in Dolphin SATPractice questions
10-16 min practice time3 questions on pageProblem Solving and Data Analysis
Practice time10-16 min
Question bank3 questions
Best forProblem Solving and Data Analysis

What this tests

What to know for this SAT skill

Dolphin question bank

Practice your skill

Question 1 of 3Easy
In a scatterplot, y generally increases as x increases. What type of association is shown?
  1. Positive
  2. Negative
  3. No association
  4. Impossible to tell
Show answer and solution
Correct answerA. Positive

Solution walkthrough

  1. When both variables tend to increase together, the association is positive.
Question 2 of 3Medium
A line of best fit predicts y = 42 when x = 6. What does this prediction mean?
  1. The actual value must be exactly 42.
  2. The model estimates y to be about 42 when x is 6.
  3. The x-value must be 42.
  4. There is no relationship between x and y.
Show answer and solution
Correct answerB. The model estimates y to be about 42 when x is 6.

Solution walkthrough

  1. A line of best fit gives an estimate, not a guaranteed exact value.
Question 3 of 3Hard
Most points follow an upward trend, but one point is far below the pattern. What is that point called?
  1. Intercept
  2. Outlier
  3. Slope
  4. Median
Show answer and solution
Correct answerB. Outlier

Solution walkthrough

  1. A point far from the overall pattern is an outlier.

Avoid these traps

Common mistakes on this skill

Claiming that association proves causation

A scatterplot can show a relationship between variables but cannot by itself establish that one causes the other.

Using the line of best fit as an exact rule

The line estimates the trend; individual points usually do not lie exactly on it.

Study plan

How to practice this skill in Dolphin

  1. Describe the direction, form, and strength of the association before calculating.
  2. Use the line of best fit only for an estimate at the requested input.
  3. Check whether the estimate is interpolation within the observed range or riskier extrapolation beyond it.
Practice scatterplots in Dolphin SAT

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FAQ

Questions about SAT Scatterplots Practice

What does a positive association mean?

Larger values of one variable tend to occur with larger values of the other.

What is an outlier on a scatterplot?

It is a point that lies unusually far from the overall pattern of the data.