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A scatter plot of data suited to linear regression should resemble:
AA perfect circle
BA single point
CA straight line
DA random cloud
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. A straight line
1. The shape of the scatter plot decides whether a straight line is worth fitting.
2. A scatter plot of the data should resemble a straight line.
3. The residuals plot, by contrast, should appear random with no pattern.
4. A shapeless cloud would mean there is little linear relationship to model.
_Source: OpenStax Introductory Statistics 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 12 'Linear Regression and Correlation', sections 12.1-12.6_
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