The least-squares regression line minimizes the sum of:
A) the squares of the shortest distance from each scatterplot point to the regression line.
B) the squares of the vertical distance from each scatterplot point to the regression line.
C) the squares of the horizontal distance from each scatterplot point to the regression line.
D) None of the above.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The least-squares regression line is used to model the relationship between two variables in a scatterplot by minimizing the sum of the squares of the vertical distance between each point and the regression line. This is known as the "residuals" and represents the distance between the observed values in the data and the predicted values from the regression line. By minimizing this distance, we are able to create the line that best fits the data and serves as a useful model for predicting future values.

The Least-Squares Regression Line Minimizes the Sum Of