If a large change in the variable measured on the x-axis is associated with a small change of the variable measured on the y-axis, the line is ________ and the slope is ________.
A) downward-sloping; large
B) downward-sloping; small
C) upward-sloping; small
D) either downward or upward-sloping; small

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The slope of a line is calculated as the change in the variable on the y-axis divided by the change in the variable on the x-axis. A large change in the x-axis variable with a small change in the y-axis variable results in a small slope value. This can occur with both upward and downward-sloping lines, hence the correct answer is that the line can be either downward or upward-sloping with a small slope.

If a Large Change in the Variable Measured on the X-Axis