Use a Graphing Calculator to Plot the Data and Find

question 240

Essay

Use a graphing calculator to plot the data and find the quadratic function of best fit.
-The following table shows the median number of hours of leisure time that Americans had each week in
various years. $\begin{array}{l|lllll}\text { Year } & 1973 & 1980 & 1987 & 1993 & 1997 \\\hline \text { Median \# of Leisure hrs per Week } & 26.2 & 19.2 & 16.6 & 18.8 & 19.5\end{array}$
Use x = 0 to represent the year 1973. Using a graphing utility, determine the quadratic regression equation for
the data given. What year corresponds to the time when Americans had the least time to spend on leisure?

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Definitions:

Radiocarbon Dating

A method of measuring the decay rate of carbon isotopes in organic matter to determine the age of organic materials such as wood and fiber.

Earliest-Known Sculptures

The oldest discovered artworks in the medium of sculpture, dating back to prehistoric times and serving various cultural and religious purposes.

BCE

Before Common Era, a non-religious alternative to BC (Before Christ), used in the Gregorian calendar to denote years before the birth of Jesus.

Neolithic Construction

Refers to structures built during the Neolithic era, around 12,000 years ago, including monumental stone buildings and megalithic sites.