Question ID a02a881f

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: a02a881f

The scatterplot above shows the federal-mandated minimum wage every 10

years between 1940 and 2010. A line of best fit is shown, and its equation is
. What does the line of best fit predict about the increase in the
minimum wage over the 70-year period?

A. Each year between 1940 and 2010, the average increase in minimum wage was 0.096 dollars.

B. Each year between 1940 and 2010, the average increase in minimum wage was 0.49 dollars.

C. Every 10 years between 1940 and 2010, the average increase in minimum wage was 0.096 dollars.

D. Every 10 years between 1940 and 2010, the average increase in minimum wage was 0.488 dollars.

ID: a02a881f Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The given equation is in slope-intercept form, or , where m is the value of the
slope of the line of best fit. Therefore, the slope of the line of best fit is 0.096. From the definition of slope, it
follows that an increase of 1 in the x-value corresponds to an increase of 0.096 in the y-value. Therefore, the line
of best fit predicts that for each year between 1940 and 2010, the minimum wage will increase by 0.096 dollar per
hour.

Choice B is incorrect and may result from using the y-coordinate of the y-intercept as the average increase,
instead of the slope. Choice C is incorrect and may result from using the 10-year increments given on the x-axis
to incorrectly interpret the slope of the line of best fit. Choice D is incorrect and may result from using the y-
coordinate of the y-intercept as the average increase, instead of the slope, and from using the 10-year increments
given on the x-axis to incorrectly interpret the slope of the line of best fit.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4313e24f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 4313e24f

The scatterplot above shows the number of visitors to a railroad museum in

Pennsylvania each year from 1968 to 1980, where t is the number of years since
1968 and n is the number of visitors. A line of best fit is also shown. Which of the
following could be an equation of the line of best fit shown?

A.
n equals, 16,090, plus 4,680, t

B.
n equals, 4,690, plus 16,090, t

C.
n equals, 16,090, plus 9,060, t

D.
n equals, 9,060, plus 16,090, t

ID: 4313e24f Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. An equation of a line of best fit can be written in the form , where a is the y-

intercept of the line and b is the slope. In the scatterplot shown, the line of best fit intersects the y-axis just over
halfway between 10,000 and 20,000, or approximately 16,000. The line of best fit also intersects the graph at

. Using the slope formula and two points that lie on the graph such as and

, the slope can be approximated as , or 4,800. Only choice A has a y-intercept near

the estimate of 16,000 and a slope near the estimate of 4,800. Therefore, an equation of the line of best fit could be
.

Choice B is incorrect because the values for the slope and the y-coordinate of the y-intercept are switched.
Choice C is incorrect because the value for the slope is approximately double the actual slope. Choice D is
incorrect because the values for the slope and the y-intercept are switched and because the slope is
approximately double the actual slope.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 35547479
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 35547479

The scatterplot above shows the size x and the sale price y of 25 houses for sale
in Town H. Which of the following could be an equation for a line of best fit for
the data?

A.
y equals, 200 x plus 100

B.
y equals, 100 x plus 100

C.
y equals, 50 x plus 100

D.
y equals, 100 x

ID: 35547479 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. From the shape of the cluster of points, the line of best fit should pass roughly through the
points and . Therefore, these two points can be used to find an approximate equation for the

line of best fit. The slope of this line of best fit is therefore , or 100. The equation for the

line of best fit, in slope-intercept form, is for some value of b. Using the point , 1 can be

substituted for x and 200 can be substituted for y: , or . Substituting this value into the

slope-intercept form of the equation gives .

Choice A is incorrect. The line defined by passes through the points and , both of

which are well above the cluster of points, so it cannot be a line of best fit. Choice C is incorrect. The line defined
by passes through the points and , both of which lie at the bottom of the cluster of
points, so it cannot be a line of best fit. Choice D is incorrect and may result from correctly calculating the slope
of a line of best fit but incorrectly assuming the y-intercept is at .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4538ecc1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 4538ecc1

The scatterplot above shows a company’s ice cream sales d, in dollars, and the
high temperature t, in degrees Celsius (°C), on 12 different days. A line of best fit
for the data is also shown. Which of the following could be an equation of the
line of best fit?

A.
d equals, 0 point 0 3 t plus 402

B.
d equals, 10 t plus 402

C.
d equals, 33 t plus 300

D.
d equals, 33 t plus 84

ID: 4538ecc1 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. On the line of best fit, d increases from approximately 480 to 880 between and .

The slope of the line of best fit is the difference in d-values divided by the difference in t-values, which gives

, or approximately 33. Writing the equation of the line of best fit in slope-intercept form gives

, where b is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept. This equation is satisfied by all points on the line, so

when . Thus, , which is equivalent to . Subtracting 396 from both

sides of this equation gives . Therefore, an equation for the line of best fit could be .

Choice A is incorrect and may result from an error in calculating the slope and misidentifying the y-coordinate
of the y-intercept of the graph as the value of d at rather than the value of d at . Choice B is incorrect

and may result from using the smallest value of t on the graph as the slope and misidentifying the y-coordinate
of the y-intercept of the graph as the value of d at rather than the value of d at . Choice C is incorrect

and may result from misidentifying the y-coordinate of the y-intercept as the smallest value of d on the graph.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID f7881f9a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: f7881f9a

The scatterplot shows the relationship between the length of time , in hours, a certain bird spent in flight and the
number of days after January , .

What is the average rate of change, in hours per day, of the length of time the bird spent in flight on January to the
length of time the bird spent in flight on January ?

ID: f7881f9a Answer

Correct Answer: 4.5, 9/2

Rationale

9
The correct answer is 2 . It's given that the scatterplot shows the relationship between the length of time 𝑦, in
hours, a certain bird spent in flight and the number of days after January 11, 𝑥. Since January 13 is 2 days after
January 11, it follows that January 13 corresponds to an x-value of 2 in the scatterplot. In the scatterplot, when
𝑥 = 2, the corresponding value of 𝑦 is 6. In other words, on January 13, the bird spent 6 hours in flight. Since
January 15 is 4 days after January 11, it follows that January 15 corresponds to an x-value of 4 in the scatterplot.
In the scatterplot, when 𝑥 = 4, the corresponding value of 𝑦 is 15. In other words, on January 15, the bird spent 15
hours in flight. Therefore, the average rate of change, in hours per day, of the length of time the bird spent in
flight on January 13 to the length of time the bird spent in flight on January 15 is the difference in the length of
15 - 6
time, in hours, the bird spent in flight divided by the difference in the number of days after January 11, or 4 - 2 ,
9
which is equivalent to 2 . Note that 9/2 and 4.5 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 82682ea2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 82682ea2
The scatterplot below shows the amount of electric energy generated, in millions of megawatt-hours, by
nuclear sources over a 10‑year period.

Of the following equations, which best models the data in the scatterplot?

A.
y equals 1 point six seven four x squared, plus 19 point seven six x, minus 745 point seven three

B.
y equals negative 1 point six seven four x squared, minus 19 point seven six x, minus 745 point seven three

C.
y equals 1 point six seven four x squared, plus 19 point seven six x, plus 745 point seven three

D.
y equals negative 1 point six seven four x squared, plus 19 point seven six x, plus 745 point seven three

ID: 82682ea2 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The data in the scatterplot roughly fall in the shape of a downward-opening parabola;
therefore, the coefficient for the term must be negative. Based on the location of the data points, the y-

intercept of the parabola should be somewhere between 740 and 760. Therefore, of the equations given, the best
model is .

Choices A and C are incorrect. The positive coefficient of the term means that these equations each define

upward-opening parabolas, whereas a parabola that fits the data in the scatterplot must open downward. Choice
B is incorrect because it defines a parabola with a y-intercept that has a negative y-coordinate, whereas a
parabola that fits the data in the scatterplot must have a y-intercept with a positive y-coordinate.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1423e2f2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 1423e2f2

The graph shows the momentum , in newton-seconds, of an object seconds after the object started moving, for
. What is the average rate of change, in newton-seconds per second, in the momentum of the object from
to ?

ID: 1423e2f2 Answer

Correct Answer: .5, 1/2

Rationale

1
The correct answer is 2 . For the graph shown, 𝑥 represents time, in seconds, and 𝑦 represents momentum, in
newton-seconds. Therefore, the average rate of change, in newton-seconds per second, in the momentum of the
object between two x-values is the difference in the corresponding y-values divided by the difference in the x-
values. The graph shows that at 𝑥 = 2, the corresponding y-value is 6. The graph also shows that at 𝑥 = 6, the
corresponding y-value is 8. It follows that the average rate of change, in newton-seconds per second, from 𝑥 = 2
8-6 2 1
to 𝑥 = 6 is , which is equivalent to , or . Note that 1/2 and .5 are examples of ways to enter a correct answer.
6-2 4 2

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 8eb9438d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 8eb9438d

The scatterplot above shows the numbers of grams of both total protein and total fat for eight sandwiches on a
restaurant menu. The line of best fit for the data is also shown. According to the line of best fit, which of the following is
closest to the predicted increase in total fat, in grams, for every increase of 1 gram in total protein?

A. 2.5

B. 2.0

C. 1.5

D. 1.0

ID: 8eb9438d Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. The predicted increase in total fat, in grams, for every increase of 1 gram in total protein is
represented by the slope of the line of best fit. Any two points on the line can be used to calculate the slope of the
line as the change in total fat over the change in total protein. For instance, it can be estimated that the points
and are on the line of best fit, and the slope of the line that passes through them is

, or 1.4. Of the choices given, 1.5 is the closest to the slope of the line of best fit.

Choices A, B, and D are incorrect and may be the result of incorrectly finding ordered pairs that lie on the line of
best fit or of incorrectly calculating the slope.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 10cd39cb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 10cd39cb

Each dot in the scatterplot above represents the height x, in feet, in the high
jump, and the distance y, in feet, in the long jump, made by each student in a
group of twenty students. The graph of which of the following equations is a line
that most closely fits the data?

A.
y equals, 0 point 8 2 x, plus 3 point 3 0

B.
y equals, 0 point 8 2 x, minus 0 point 8 2

C.
y equals, 3 point 3 0 x, plus 0 point 8 2

D.
y equals, 3 point 3 0 x, minus 3 point 3 0

ID: 10cd39cb Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. A line that most closely fits the data is a line with an approximately balanced number of data
points above and below the line. Fitting a line to the data shown results in a line with an approximate slope of 3
and a y-intercept near the point . An equation for the line can be written in slope-intercept form,
, where m is the slope and b is the y-coordinate of the y-intercept. The equation in

choice C fits the data most closely.

Choices A and B are incorrect because the slope of the lines of these equations is 0.82, which is a value that is too
small to be the slope of the line that fits the data shown. Choice D is incorrect. The graph of this equation has a y-
intercept at , not . This line would lie below all of the data points, and therefore would not
closely fit the data.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e5672931
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: e5672931

An inspector begins a day of work with a large sample of shirts that need to be
checked for defects. The inspector works at a constant rate throughout the
morning. What type of model is best to model the number of shirts remaining to
be checked for defects at any given time throughout the morning?

A. A linear model with a positive slope

B. A linear model with a negative slope

C. An exponential growth model

D. An exponential decay model

ID: e5672931 Answer

Rationale

Choice B is correct. Since the work is done at a constant rate, a linear model best models the situation. The
number of shirts remaining is dependent on the length of time the inspector has worked; therefore, if the
relationship were graphed, time would be the variable of the horizontal axis and the number of remaining shirts
would be the variable of the vertical axis. Since the number of shirts decreases as the time worked increases, it
follows that the slope of this graph is negative.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from incorrectly reasoning about the slope. Choices C and D are incorrect
and may result from not identifying the constant rate of work as a characteristic of a linear model.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 8890fc41
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 8890fc41

Each dot in the scatterplot above represents the temperature and the number of
people who visited a beach in Lagos, Nigeria, on one of eleven different days.
The line of best fit for the data is also shown. The line of best fit for the data has
a slope of approximately 57. According to this estimate, how many additional
people per day are predicted to visit the beach for each 5°C increase in average
temperature?

ID: 8890fc41 Answer

Rationale

The correct answer is 285. The number of people predicted to visit the beach each day is represented by the y-
values of the line of best fit, and the average temperature, in degrees Celsius ( ), is represented by the x-values.
Since the slope of the line of best fit is approximately 57, the y-value, or the number of people predicted to visit
the beach each day, increases by 57 for every x-value increase of 1, or every increase in average temperature.
Therefore, an increase of in average temperature corresponds to a y-value increase of

additional people per day predicted to visit the beach.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 81860a42
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 81860a42

Which of the following is true about the values of and

for ?

A. For all , it is true that .

B. For all , it is true that .

C. There is a constant c such that if , then , but if , then .

D. There is a constant c such that if , then , but if , then .

ID: 81860a42 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. At , the value of is less than the value of , which is equivalent to
. As the value of x increases, the value of remains less than the value of until , which is when

the two values are equal: , which is equivalent to . Then, for , the value of is greater
than the value of . So there is a constant, 3, such that when , then , but when ,

then .

Choice A is incorrect because when . Choice B is incorrect because when .

Choice D is incorrect because when and when .

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID cfceab8c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: cfceab8c

Amount invested Balance increase

Account A $500 6% annual interest

Account B $1,000 $25 per year

Two investments were made as shown in the table above. The interest in Account
A is compounded once per year. Which of the following is true about the
investments?

A. Account A always earns more money per year than Account B.

B. Account A always earns less money per year than Account B.

C. Account A earns more money per year than Account B at first but eventually earns less money per year.

D. Account A earns less money per year than Account B at first but eventually earns more money per year.

ID: cfceab8c Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. Account A starts with $500 and earns interest at 6% per year, so in the first year Account A
earns (500)(0.06) = $30, which is greater than the $25 that Account B earns that year. Compounding interest can
be modeled by an increasing exponential function, so each year Account A will earn more money than it did the
previous year. Therefore, each year Account A earns at least $30 in interest. Since Account B always earns $25
each year, Account A always earns more money per year than Account B.

Choices B and D are incorrect. Account A earns $30 in the first year, which is greater than the $25 Account B
earns in the first year. Therefore, neither the statement that Account A always earns less money per year than
Account B nor the statement that Account A earns less money than Account B at first can be true. Choice C is
incorrect. Since compounding interest can be modeled by an increasing exponential function, each year Account
A will earn more money than it did the previous year. Therefore, Account A always earns at least $30 per year,
which is more than the $25 per year that Account B earns.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 141727cb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 141727cb

In which of the following tables is the relationship between the values of x and
their corresponding y-values nonlinear?

A.

B.

C.

D.

ID: 141727cb Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is correct. The relationship between the values of x and their corresponding y-values is nonlinear if the
rate of change between these pairs of values isn’t constant. The table for choice D gives four pairs of values: ,
, , and . Finding the rate of change, or slope, between and by using the slope

formula, , yields , or 6. Finding the rate of change between and yields , or

12. Finding the rate of change between and yields , or 24. Since the rate of change isn’t
constant for these pairs of values, this table shows a nonlinear relationship.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect. The rate of change between the values of x and their corresponding y-values in
each of these tables is constant, being 3, 4, and 5, respectively. Therefore, each of these tables shows a linear
relationship.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 45b16f33
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 45b16f33

Each year, the value of an investment increases by of its value the previous year. Which of the following functions
best models how the value of the investment changes over time?

A. Decreasing exponential

B. Decreasing linear

C. Increasing exponential

D. Increasing linear

ID: 45b16f33 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is correct. Because the value of the investment increases each year, the function that best models how
the value of the investment changes over time is an increasing function. It′s given that each year, the value of the
investment increases by 0.49% of its value the previous year. Since the value of the investment changes by a
fixed percentage each year, the function that best models how the value of the investment changes over time is
an exponential function. Therefore, the function that best models how the value of the investment changes over
time is an increasing exponential function.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Choice B is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Choice D is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6e177e19
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 6e177e19

Which of the following could be the equation for a line of best fit for the
data shown in the scatterplot above?

A.
y equals, 3 x plus 0 point 8

B.
y equals, 0 point 8 x, plus 3

C.
y equals, negative 0 point 8 x, plus 3

D.
y equals, negative 3 x plus 0 point 8

ID: 6e177e19 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is correct. The data show a strong linear relationship between x and y. The line of best fit for a set of
data is a linear equation that minimizes the distances from the data points to the line. An equation for the line of
best fit can be written in slope-intercept form, , where m is the slope of the graph of the line and b is

the y-coordinate of the y-intercept of the graph. Since, for the data shown, the y-values increase as the x-values
increase, the slope of a line of best fit must be positive. The data shown lie almost in a line, so the slope can be

roughly estimated using the formula for slope, . The leftmost and rightmost data points have

coordinates of about and , so the slope is approximately , which is a little greater than

3. Extension of the line to the left would intersect the y-axis at about . Only choice A represents a line with a
slope close to 3 and a y-intercept close to .

Choice B is incorrect and may result from switching the slope and y-intercept. The line with a y-intercept of
and a slope of 0.8 is farther from the data points than the line with a slope of 3 and a y-intercept of .
Choices C and D are incorrect. They represent lines with negative slopes, not positive slopes.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 89c94f8f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 89c94f8f

For , the function is defined as follows:

equals of
Which of the following could describe this function?

A. Decreasing exponential

B. Decreasing linear

C. Increasing exponential

D. Increasing linear

ID: 89c94f8f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

201
Choice D is correct. It's given that for 𝑥 > 0, 𝑓𝑥 is equal to 201% of 𝑥. This is equivalent to 𝑓𝑥 = 100
𝑥, or 𝑓𝑥 = 2.01𝑥,
for 𝑥 > 0. This function indicates that as 𝑥 increases, 𝑓𝑥 also increases, which means 𝑓 is an increasing function.
Furthermore, 𝑓𝑥 increases at a constant rate of 2.01 for each increase of 𝑥 by 1. A function with a constant rate of
change is linear. Thus, the function 𝑓 can be described as an increasing linear function.

Choice A is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

Choice B is incorrect and may result from conceptual errors.

𝑥
Choice C is incorrect. This could describe the function 𝑓𝑥 = 2.01 , where 𝑓𝑥 is equal to 201% of 𝑓𝑥 - 1, not 𝑥, for
𝑥 > 0.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2cd6ee01
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT/NMSQT & Math Problem-Solving Two-variable data:

PSAT 10 and Data Analysis Models and
scatterplots

ID: 2cd6ee01

The scatterplot above shows data for ten charities along with the line of best fit. For the charity with the greatest percent
of total expenses spent on programs, which of the following is closest to the difference of the actual percent and the
percent predicted by the line of best fit?

A.
10 percent

B.
7 percent

C.
4 percent

D.
1 percent

ID: 2cd6ee01 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is correct. The charity with the greatest percent of total expenses spent on programs is represented by
the highest point on the scatterplot; this is the point that has a vertical coordinate slightly less than halfway
between 90 and 95 and a horizontal coordinate slightly less than halfway between 3,000 and 4,000. Thus, the
charity represented by this point has a total income of about $3,400 million and spends about 92% of its total
expenses on programs. The percent predicted by the line of best fit is the vertical coordinate of the point on the
line of best fit with horizontal coordinate $3,400 million; this vertical coordinate is very slightly more than 85.
Thus, the line of best fit predicts that the charity with the greatest percent of total expenses spent on programs
will spend slightly more than 85% on programs. Therefore, the difference between the actual percent (92%) and
the prediction (slightly more than 85%) is slightly less than 7%.

Choice A is incorrect. There is no charity represented in the scatterplot for which the difference between the
actual percent of total expenses spent on programs and the percent predicted by the line of best fit is as much as
10%. Choices C and D are incorrect. These choices may result from misidentifying in the scatterplot the point
that represents the charity with the greatest percent of total expenses spent on programs.

Question Difficulty: Hard