AP CSP Day 42: Binary Search
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Practice Question
A scatter plot shows the relationship between hours studied and exam scores for 200 students. The data shows a general upward trend. Which of the following conclusions is supported by this visualization?
I. There is a positive correlation between hours studied and exam scores.
II. Studying more hours directly causes higher exam scores.
III. Every student who studied more than 10 hours scored above 85.
Statement I is supported: an upward trend in a scatter plot indicates positive correlation. Statement II is not supported: correlation does not prove causation (other factors like prior knowledge could contribute). Statement III is not supported: a general trend does not mean every individual point follows the pattern; scatter plots typically have variation.
B) Statement II attributes causation to a correlation. C) Statement III makes an absolute claim about every data point, which is not supported by a general trend. D) Only statement I is directly supported.
Students leap from observing a trend (correlation) to concluding a cause-and-effect relationship. They also assume trends apply uniformly to every data point, ignoring natural variation in scatter plot data.
Scatter plots show correlation (or lack thereof) but never prove causation. Also, a trend describes the overall pattern — individual data points may deviate from it.
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