Which of these pairs of variables would you expect to be represented by a scatterplot with a negative correlation?

A.

a person's height and the person's grade on the math test

B.

the depth of the water in a pond and the amount of rainfall

C.

the number of miles driven and the number of people on the bus

D.

the number of concert tickets purchased and the number of concert tickets still available for purchase

C. The number of miles driven and the number of people on the bus.

The correct answer is D. The number of concert tickets purchased and the number of concert tickets still available for purchase

Explanation:

In mathematics, a negative correlation occurs when the increase in one of the variables makes the other variable decrease or vice-versa. For example, there is a negative correlation between the amount of time an individual exercises and his/her weight because the more hours it is expected the individual weights less. Additionally, in a scatterplot (graphic that uses dots to represent variables) a negative correlation is represented as a downward line considering values start high on the y or vertical axis but slowly go down.

From the options given, the variables that would lead to a scatterplot with a negative correlations are "he number of concert tickets purchased and the number of concert tickets still available for purchase" because the more tickets purchased the fewer tickets available and vice-versa, which means if one variable increases the other falls and thus, they have a negative correlation.