Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 3
ORGANISING AND REPRESENTING AND INTERPRETING DATA
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ORGANISING AND REPRESENTING AND INTERPRETING DATA
Download the Lessonotes Mobile Ghana app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.
Subject: Additional Mathematics
Class: SHS 3
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 8
Grade code: 3.4.1.LI.2
Strand code: 4
Sub-strand code: 1
Content standard code: 3.4.1.CS.2
Indicator code: 3.4.1.LI.2
Theme: HANDLING DATA
Subtheme: ORGANISING AND REPRESENTING AND INTERPRETING DATA
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In our daily lives in Ghana, we often try to find relationships between different things. For example, a farmer might wonder, "If I use more fertilizer, will I get a better maize harvest?" An economist might ask, "How does the price of petrol affect the price of kenkey in the market?" This lesson introduces a powerful mathematical tool called linear regression, which allows us to find the best possible straight line (a "line of best fit") to describe the relationship between two variables. By finding this line, we can make reasonable predictions and understand these relationships more deeply. This skill is crucial in fields like agriculture, economics, science, and business.
2.1. Independent vs. Dependent Variables
Before we can analyse a relationship, we must identify which variable influences the other. Independent Variable (x): This is the variable that we believe causes a change in the other variable. It is the 'input' or the 'cause'. We often control or observe this variable. It is plotted on the horizontal axis (x-axis). Dependent Variable (y): This is the variable that is affected by the independent variable. It is the 'output' or the 'effect'. Its value *depends* on the value of the independent variable. It is plotted on the vertical axis (y-axis).
Ghanaian Context Example: A researcher at the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) wants to study the effect of a new fertilizer on cocoa pod yield. Independent Variable (x): The amount of fertilizer applied (in kg per hectare). Dependent Variable (y): The cocoa pod yield (in tonnes per hectare).
The yield *depends* on the amount of fertilizer used. 2.2. The Line of Best Fit