The Correlation Coefficient as a Slope
Before we explore the original problem further, let's examine some other interpretations of the correlation coefficient.
In the applet below, points A, B, C, D, and E have the correlation shown and are best modeled by the blue least squares regression line..
Points A', B', C', D', and E' are the Standardized Points (the coordinates are z-scores). The equation of the LSRL that best fits these points
is a line through the origin (a direct variation) with a slope equal to the correlation coefficient.