ACT Science 3.2 Data Representation Passage

Okay, so which graph is

hitting the nail on the head when it comes to birth year.

Figure 1 shows that the amount of carbon-14 (14C) in an individual's eye related to the

amount of 14C in the atmosphere at the time of that individual's birth.

That’s not the one we want at all.

So we should refer to figure 2, because the question is asking about predicting birth year.

Figure 2 just happens to be all about predictions.

The perfectly diagonal red line shows the ideal 1:1 ratio between the predicted and

actual years of birth. In other words, the dots would be on that red line if the scientists

were psychics and could predict the patients’ actual years of birth.

For this question, we’re interested in which red dots are closest to this red line.

After 1960, the dots seem to hug the line pretty closely,

but before 1960, they are relatively far away.

Guess the dots and the lines saw a couple’s therapist to work out their problems.

Since the dots are closest to the line only after 1960,

the model is most accurate at making predictions after 1960.

So our answer’s C.