1. Lesson 2

Mathematics 30-2 Module 4

Module 4: Polynomials

 

Lesson 2: Modelling Data with Lines of Best Fit

 

Focus

 

This is a photo of a person’s hands using an adding machine.

Brand X Pictures/Thinkstock

In Lesson 1 you learned about the drama club that determined the revenue it can expect to generate as a function of ticket price. The club also determined the cost of the production as a function of ticket price.

 

This is a scatter plot showing production cost and revenue as functions of ticket price. The horizontal axis is labelled $0 to $8, and the vertical axis is labelled $0 to $800. Production cost shows a set of data that appear to be linear, going through the points (2, 700) and (6, 800). Revenue shows a set of data that appear to be quadratic, with a vertex at (4, 800) and going through the point (0,0) and (8, 0).

Data Source: PRINCIPLES OF MATHEMATICS 12 by Canavan-McGrath et al. Copyright Nelson Education Ltd. Reprinted with permission.

 

The following question was posed in Lesson 1: How could the ticket price be determined so that the club could expect revenue to be higher than costs? Finding the equation for a line that would pass through the production cost points would help create a useful model. The drama club would then be closer to finding a ticket price that would make a profit.

 

In this lesson you will learn how to determine the equation of a line of best fit using a process called regression.

 

Lesson Outcomes

 

At the end of this lesson, you will be able to

  • use technology to determine the equation of a line of best fit
  • use a regression equation to answer questions in a real-world context
Lesson Question

 

You will investigate the following question: How can a line of best fit be used to model problems?

 

Assessment

 

Your assessment may be based on a combination of the following tasks:

  • completion of the Lesson 2 Assignment (Download the Lesson 2 Assignment and save it in your course folder now.)
  • course folder submissions from Try This and Share activities
  • additions to Glossary Terms
  • work under Project Connection