Education Technology


Statistics: Transforming Bivariate Data

by Texas Instruments

Objectives

  • Students will recognize that bivariate data can be transformed to reduce the curvature in the graph of a relationship between two variables.
  • Students will use scatterplots, residual plots, and correlation coefficients of different transformations of bivariate data to determine which transformation is more effective at eliminating the curvature.
  • Students will make predictions about the response variable using a transformed data model.

Vocabulary

  • bivariate data
  • correlation coefficient
  • exponential function
  • least-squares regression line
  • log transformation
  • log-log transformation
  • power function
  • quadratic function
  • residual plot
  • scatterplot
  • square root transformation

About the Lesson

This lesson involves square root, semi-log, and log-log transformations of curved bivariate data using given data sets.

As a result, students will:

  • Observe scatterplots, residual plots, and correlation coefficients of bivariate data.
  • Transform data using square root, semi-log, and log-log transformations.
  • Determine which transformation is more effective at reducing the curvature in the graph of two variables.
  • Use the least-squares regression line based on the transformed data to make predictions.