Home / IB Mathematics SL 2.5 Linear models AI SL Paper 1- Exam Style Questions

IB Mathematics SL 2.5 Linear models AI SL Paper 1- Exam Style Questions- New Syllabus

Question

Commercial hot air balloons are designed in various sizes to accommodate different numbers of passengers.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The table below shows the recommended minimum volume, in cubic metres, for a balloon carrying a specific number of passengers.
Number of Passengers \(x\)1245715
Recommended Minimum Volume \(y\)100013502225250031505800
(a) Use a graphic display calculator to find Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient, \(r\), for this data. 
(b) (i) Find the equation of the regression line of \(y\) on \(x\) for this data in the form \(y = ax + b\). 
(ii) State what the value of \(a\) represents in the context of this problem. 
(c) Using your regression equation from part (b)(i), find the recommended minimum volume for a balloon that can carry 10 passengers. 

Most-appropriate topic codes (IB Mathematics: applications and interpretation SL guide):

SL 4.4: Linear correlation of bivariate data; Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient, \(r\); equation of the regression line of \(y\) on \(x\) — parts (a), (b)(i)
SL 2.5: Modelling with linear models — part (b)(ii)
SL 2.6: Modelling skills: reading, interpreting and making predictions based on the model — part (c)
▶️ Answer/Explanation

(a)
Enter the data into a graphic display calculator and perform linear regression analysis to obtain the Pearson correlation coefficient \(r\).
 \(r = 0.999\) (to three significant figures) or \(0.999\) (from calculator output \(0.998886…\)).
\( \boxed{r = 0.999} \)

(b) (i)
Use the calculator to perform linear regression (\(y\) on \(x\)).
 \(y = 340x + 742\) (e.g., \(y = 340.379…x + 742.015…\)).
\( \boxed{y = 340x + 742} \)

(b) (ii)
In the regression equation \(y = ax + b\), the coefficient \(a\) represents the slope. In this context, it indicates the average increase in the recommended minimum volume of the balloon per additional passenger.
 For each additional passenger, the recommended minimum volume increases by approximately 340 cubic metres.
\( \boxed{\text{The volume increases by about } 340 \text{ m}^3 \text{ per passenger.}} \)

(c)
Substitute \(x = 10\) into the regression equation \(y = 340x + 742\).
\( y = 340 \times 10 + 742 = 3400 + 742 = 4142 \)

The recommended minimum volume is 4140 cubic metres (or 4142 m³ depending on calculation precision).
\( \boxed{4140 \text{ m}^3} \)

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