Estimating Age: given 4 data pts, est. height at age 7, and

[Error_Analysis]

Truthfully, I think I'm overlooking a question like this - but I've been staring at this sheet for some time, and haven't been able to come up with a simple height/age relationship equation.

A. On the figure shown below (an empty graph is given underneath), sketch a line which approximates the relationship between Alex's age and his height given by the data.

x-Alex's Age
y- Alex's Height

(4,39) (6,45) (8,50) (10,57)

B. Estimate Alex's height at age 7.

At first I thought it would simply be a ratio : Simply them to one, and see how many inches he increases per single year, until I realized that growth is sporadic, you don't grow a set amount of inches per year, and the same amount every year. I am quite clear on how to graph the line - what I don't understand is how to find how tall he was with an equation instead of simply looking at the graph and estimating.

Help would be much appreciated.

 

[stapel]

I think plotting the points, roughing in a line that looks "good" or "reasonable" to you, and guessing from the picture is what they're wanting you do to. The exercise doesn't say anything about fitting a polynomial or doing a regression, so I'd try guessing from the pretty picture. :wink:

Eliz.

 

[Error_Analysis]

Re: Estimating Age

Thank you.
But I should've been more specific. That's a screw-up on my part.

Parts C/D/E:

C. Use your line from Part A to estimate the age at which Alex is 64 inches tall. (I understand that this one is a guess-estimate from a graph).

D. Write an equation for your line of Part A.
THIS is where I get confused.

E. If you extend the line farther to the right, will the line predict Alex's height at age 33? Explain.



Sorry, I should've clarified better. But what I don't understand how to do, is write an equation for Part A.

Would I have to find the slope between two given points, then plug that into the y=mx+b equation and solve for a linear equation?

 

[Deleted member 4993]

Re: Estimating Age

Thank you.
But I should've been more specific. That's a screw-up on my part.

Parts C/D/E:

C. Use your line from Part A to estimate the age at which Alex is 64 inches tall. (I understand that this one is a guess-estimate from a graph).

D. Write an equation for your line of Part A.
THIS is where I get confused.

E. If you extend the line farther to the right, will the line predict Alex's height at age 33? Explain.



Sorry, I should've clarified better. But what I don't understand how to do, is write an equation for Part A.

Would I have to find the slope between two given points, then plug that into the y=mx+b equation and solve for a linear equation? <<<<<< Yes

 

[Error_Analysis]

Re: Estimating Age

Thank you. Thank you very much for clarifying my question.
Ahhh, my first sane thought of the day - doesn't feel as bad as I thought it would've.

Thanks again.