AP Statistics

Assignment: Linear Regression Lines

Page 1 of 8

Use the data set below to answer questions 1 through 13. You are expected to round your
answers to thousandths.
The data included with this assignment are hitting statistics for the top 25 home run hitters
from both the National and American Leagues in Major League Baseball. The statistics
included are the number of base hits, the number of runs, and the number of home runs
each player had in the 1999 season as of 8/17/99. (Source: www.majorleaguebaseball.com)
(In case you're rusty on your baseball terms, here are a few definitions: A base hit is a hit
that gets the batter on a base. A run is any time a runner reaches home plate and scores,
and a home run is hitting the ball and reaching home plate in the same play.)
Base Hits
136
123
141
130
106
87
140
101
123
144
109
132
93
122
143
133
130
101
104
102
135
157
87
101
160
134
109
131
136
133
149
123
89
136
132
137
125
103
118
89
128

Runs
94
91
95
89
88
63
70
70
74
85
71
62
74
80
74
86
66
58
50
73
77
74
50
50
99
91
86
108
86
91
78
96
71
74
62
77
70
68
83
60
57

Home Runs
36
35
33
32
32
31
31
29
28
28
28
27
27
27
26
25
24
23
23
23
23
22
22
21
21
47
47
36
31
30
29
29
29
28
27
27
27
26
26
26
26

130
122
108
115
114
128
116
117
86

63
78
77
65
66
79
73
63
57

Data is continued in the next column.

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25
25
24
24
24
24
23
23
22

AP Statistics
Assignment: Linear Regression Lines
1.

Page 2 of 8

Enter the number of hits for all 50 players into your calculator in your first list and
enter the number of runs into your second list. Do a linear regression on the calculator
of x, the number of hits, to y, the number of runs. Record your linear regression
equation y1. (If youre not sure how to do this on your calculator, refer to the study
guides for the tutorials for this practice assignment or your calculators manual.)
What is the regression equation in the form y a bx ? Is the relationship between hits
and runs positive or negative? (2 points)

2.

Create a scatterplot, and plot y against x with the regression line (the equation should
be stored in y1 and the function turned on).
Sketch the satterplot and regression line here. (The sketch does not need to be
perfect.) Does the relationship appear linear? Why or why not? (1.5 points)

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AP Statistics
Assignment: Linear Regression Lines

Page 3 of 8

3.

Whats the predicted number of runs for the player with 149 hits? Whats the predicted
number of runs for the player with only 86 hits? Show your equations, plugging in the
values, and your steps to the solution. (2 points)

4.

Whats the formula for calculating a residual? Find the residuals for the players with
149 and 86 hits, respectively. (Show all your work.) (2 points)

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AP Statistics
Assignment: Linear Regression Lines

Page 4 of 8

5.

Calculate the residuals and store them in your calculator. Then plot them against the
x-values and sketch the residual plot. (The sketch does not have to be perfect.) Is
there any pattern in the residuals? Based on this, does it appear that the relationship
between hits and runs is linear? Not linear? Why or why not? (State your reasons.)(2
points)

6.

What are two different methods youve used so far to check linearity? (1.5 points)

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AP Statistics
Assignment: Linear Regression Lines

Page 5 of 8

7.

How would you characterize the relationship between hits and runs: linear and strong;
linear and moderate; linear and weak; nonlinear and strong; nonlinear and moderate;
or nonlinear and weak? (Note: nonlinear and strong means that the data points form a
definite curved pattern.) (2 points)

8.

Give the regression equation in the form of y a bx showing x, number of hits, vs. y,
the number of home runs. (2 points)

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AP Statistics
Assignment: Linear Regression Lines
9.

Page 6 of 8

Plot x, number of hits, vs. y, the number of home runs, with the linear regression line
and sketch the scatterplot and regression line. (The sketch does not need to be
perfect.) Does the relationship appear linear? Why or why not? Does the data plot
indicate that there is a linear relationship between hits and home runs? Why or why
not? (2 points)

10. Calculate by hand the predicted number of home runs for the player with 93 hits and
the residual for that player. Would this residual be above or below the regression line?
(1.5 points)

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AP Statistics
Assignment: Linear Regression Lines

Page 7 of 8

11. Find the residuals and store them in your calculator. Plot them against the x-values
(the numbers of hits) and sketch the residual plot below. (The sketch does not have to
be perfect.) What does the residual plot suggest about the possible nonlinearity of the
relationship between hits and home runs? (1.5 points)

12. Would you characterize hits and home runs as having a strong linear relationship, a
weak linear relationship, a strong nonlinear relationship, a weak nonlinear relationship,
or no relationship? Use the data plot, and the residual plot, to justify your answer with
at least three reasons. (3 points)

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AP Statistics
Assignment: Linear Regression Lines

Page 8 of 8

13. Weve seen how residuals are used to assess the fit of a regression line to the data,
but they have another important role. How are residuals used in the definition of the
least-squares regression? (2 points)

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