Thompson Photo Works purchased several new, highly sophisticated processing machines. The production department needed some guidance with respect to qualifications needed by an operator. Is age a factor? Is the length of service as an operator (in years) important? In order to explore further the factors needed to estimate performance on the new processing machines, four variables were listed: X1 = Length of time an employee was in the industry X2 = Mechanical aptitude test score X3 = Prior on-the-job rating X4 = Age Performance on the new machine is designated Y. Thirty employees were selected at random. Data were collected for each, and their performances on the new machines were recorded. A few results are:
Name Performance on New Machine, Y Length of Time in Industry, X1 Mechanical Aptitude Score, X2 Prior on-the-Job Performance, X3 Age, X4
Mike Miraglia 112 9 335 127 44
Sue Trythall 114 10 384 124 27
The equation is: formula174.mml = 10.4 + 0.7X1 + 0.786X2 + 0.412X3 + 0.005X4
a. What is this equation called?
b. How many dependent and independent variables are there? dependent, independent
c. What is the number 0.412 called?
d. As age increases by one year, how much does estimated performance on the new machine increase? (Round your answer to 3 decimal places.)
e. Carl Knox applied for a job at Photo Works. He has been in the business for 3 years and scored 295 on the mechanical aptitude test. Carl’s prior on-the-job performance rating is 65, and he is 50 years old. Estimate Carl’s performance on the new machine. (Round your answer to 3 decimal places.)
