Select the correct answer.

Becky is an experienced swimmer. The table contains data on her times in the 100-meter freestyle event for each year over the past six years.

\begin{tabular}{|c|c|}
\hline
Year & \begin{tabular}{c}
Time \\
(seconds)
\end{tabular} \\
\hline
1 & 98 \\
\hline
2 & 101 \\
\hline
3 & 109 \\
\hline
4 & 117 \\
\hline
5 & 119 \\
\hline
6 & 127 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

Sketch a scatter plot for this data, and then determine which of these numbers is the closest to the correlation coefficient for the data set.

A. 0.20
B. 0.99
C. 0.20
D. -0.83
E. -1.01



Answer :

To determine the correlation coefficient for the given data, first we need to understand the data itself:

| Year | Time (seconds) |
|------|-----------------|
| 1 | 98 |
| 2 | 101 |
| 3 | 109 |
| 4 | 117 |
| 5 | 119 |
| 6 | 127 |

### Step-by-Step Process:
1. Sketch the Scatter Plot:
- Plot the Year on the x-axis and the Time on the y-axis.
- Each year corresponds to a specific time.

2. Interpreting the Data:
- As the years increase, the times also appear to increase.
- This suggests a positive correlation between year and time.

3. Calculating the Correlation Coefficient:
- The calculation of the correlation coefficient measures the strength and direction of the linear relationship between two variables.
- Without going into the detailed computations, notice the scatter plot's pattern: a strong, positive linear trend.

4. Choosing the Correct Answer:
- Option A: 0.20 (This suggests a weak positive correlation)
- Option B: 0.99 (This indicates a very strong positive correlation)
- Option C: 0.20 (same as Option A, likely an error)
- Option D: -0.83 (This indicates a strong negative correlation)
- Option E: -1.01 (This is outside the valid range for correlation coefficients, which is from -1 to 1)

### Conclusion:
Since our data shows a strong positive correlation (as times increase almost linearly with years), the correlation coefficient closest to this description is [tex]\( B. 0.99 \)[/tex].

Thus, the correct answer is: B. 0.99.