Spreading rate of spilled liquid. Refer to the Chemical Engineering Progress (January 2005) study of the rate at which a spilled volatile liquid (methanol) will spread across a surface, Exercise 3.16 (p. 104). Consider a straight-line model relating mass of the spill (y) to elapsed time of the spill (x). Recall that the data are saved in the LIQUIDSPILL file.
(a) Is there sufficient evidence (at α = .05) to indicate that the spill mass (y) tends to diminish linearly as time (x) increases?
(b) Give an interval estimate (with 95% confidence) of the decrease in spill mass for each minute of elapsed time.