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Correlation and the line of best fit

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Learn it The correlation coefficient r is between −1 and 1. Near +1: strong positive (both go up together). Near −1: strong negative. Near 0: little or no linear relationship. A line of best fit can predict values, but correlation does not prove one thing causes the other.

Example: r = −0.85 between hours of TV and test scores.

  1. Close to −1: a strong negative correlation.
  2. More TV tends to go with lower scores, but it doesn't prove TV causes them.

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