Question

If the independent variable in a line of best fit $y=-0.008x+14$is credit score, and the dependent variable is the interest rate on a used car loan, then the slope is interpreted as “if credit score increases by $1$ point, the interest rate will (increase/decrease) by percent, on average.

Short answer

If the independent variable in a line of best fit $y=-0.008x+14$is credit score, and the dependent variable is the interest rate on a used car loan, then the slope is interpreted as “if credit score increases by $1$ point, the interest rate will decrease (increase/decrease) by $0.008$ percent, on average.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1. Define increasing and decreasing function.

If the slope ($m$) of a linear function $y=mx+b$is positive, it increases throughout its domain and if the slope ($m$) is negative, it decreases over its domain.

Step 2. Fill the blank in the given statement.

If the independent variable in a line of best fit $y=-0.008x+14$is credit score, and the dependent variable is the interest rate on a used car loan, then the slope is interpreted as “if credit score increases by $1$ point, the interest rate will decrease (increase/decrease) by $0.008$ percent, on average.