A physical trainer collects data on the number of minutes each of her clients exercises during a typical week and their weight in pounds. These data are represented in the scatter plot below. image fcdfb5df81174f6ba9a4772a6dd7d442 Further analysis finds that the correlation coefficient for this data set is –0.792. Which statement is a good description of what the scatter plot and correlation coefficient indicate? For most clients, the more minutes they exercise in a typical week, the less they will weigh. The given information indicates that exercise is directly causing the differences observed in weight.

Because the correlation coefficient is negative, there is no relationship between minutes of exercise and weight, and no true conclusions can be drawn.

The pattern seen in the scatter plot indicates that the two variables have a nonlinear relationship, which prevents drawing any true conclusions.

In general, clients who exercised more in a typical week weighed less. However, factors other than the number of minutes spent exercising may be responsible for this relationship.