Question

An analyst wants to determine the relationship between speed, in miles per hour, and the time, in hours, it takes to drive 5 miles. Twenty trials are completed and the correlation coefficient between speed and time is determined to be -0.276. Therefore, slower speed was related to greater time. How is the correlation affected if the units for time are changed from hours to minutes?

a) The correlation will increase.
b) The correlation will decrease.
c) The correlation will remain the same.
d) The correlation will become positive.

Answer 1

When changing the units of time from hours to minutes, the correlation coefficient that represents the relationship between speed and time remains unchanged.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correlation coefficient measures the strength and direction of the relationship between two variables. In this case, it represents the relationship between speed and time taken to drive 5 miles. When converting time from hours to minutes, the individual values change, but the overall relationship between speed and time remains constant. Thus, changing the units of measurement for one of the variables does not affect the calculation of the correlation coefficient. Therefore, the correct answer is that the correlation will remain the same, option c).