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Two people fit a best fit line to the same set of readings using the same method. What should they end up with?
ATwo lines that both fit the readings best
BOne line, since only one fits the data best
CTwo lines that cross at the middle reading
DTwo lines, one for each end of the readings
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. One line, since only one fits the data best
1. The best fit line is the single line that sits closest to the plotted readings.
2. Only one line can be closest, so the same readings and the same method give the same line.
3. Two people working correctly must therefore agree.
4. Sketching a line by eye can give slightly different results, but that is a rough guess rather than the best fit.
_Source: OpenStax College Algebra (CC BY 4.0), Ch 4 "Linear Functions", section 4.3 Fitting Linear Models to Data_
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