A Science Instructor Assigns a Group of Students to Investigate

Multiple Choice

A science instructor assigns a group of students to investigate the linear relationship between the pH of the water of a river and its water's hardness (measured in grains) .Some students wrote these conclusions: "My correlation of -0.85 shows that there is almost no association between pH of the water and water's hardness." Is the interpretation of the correlation appropriate?

A) Yes: a correlation of -0.85 shows a weak relation in a negative direction.
B) No: correlation is always positive.
C) No: a correlation of -0.85 shows a strong relation in a negative direction.
D) Yes: pH and hardness of water do not have the same units.
E) No: the pH and the hardness of the water are data collected from the same river.