The value y (in 1982–1984 dollars) of each dollar paid by consumers in each of the years from 1994 through 2008 in a country is represented by the ordered pairs.

(1994, 0.674)	(1995, 0.656)
(1996, 0.633)	(1997, 0.625)
(1998, 0.618)	(1999, 0.596)
(2000, 0.581)	(2001, 0.568)
(2002, 0.556)	(2003, 0.542)
(2004, 0.531)	(2005, 0.507)
(2006, 0.496)	(2007, 0.486)
(2008, 0.465)

(a) Use a spreadsheet software program to generate a scatter plot of the data. Let t = 4 represent 1994. Do the data appear linear?

Yes or No

(b) Use the regression feature of the spreadsheet software program to find a linear model for the data. (Let t represent time. Round your numerical values to four decimal places.)

(c) Use the model to predict the value (in 1982–1984 dollars) of 1 dollar paid by consumers in 2010 and in 2015. (Round your answers to two decimal places.)

2010	$
2015	$

Discuss the reliability of your predictions based on your scatter plot and the graph of your linear model for the data.

Because the data follow a linear pattern, the predictions for 2010 and 2015 are not reliable.

Because the data does not follow a linear pattern, the predictions for 2010 and 2015 are not reliable.

Because the data follow a linear pattern, the predictions for 2010 and 2015 are reliable.

Because the data does not follow a linear pattern, the predictions for 2010 and 2015 are reliable.