The value of a computer bought in 1998 decreases as time passes. Two years after the computer was bought, it was worth $2,600. Five years after it was bought, it was worth $2,000.

If the relationship between number of years past 1998 and value of the computer is linear, write an equation describing this relationship to help predict the value of the computer in future years.
HINT: Use ordered pairs of the form: (years past 1998, vlaue of the computer)

A) y=-200x+3000
B) y=200x+3000
C) y=-200x-1000
D) y=-200x+1000

To determine the equation that describes the relationship between the number of years past 1998 and the value of the computer, we need to find the slope and the y-intercept.

Let's first use the ordered pairs given in the problem to find the slope:

(2,600) and (5,2,000)

The slope (m) is calculated using the formula:

m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1)

Using the first ordered pair (2,600) as (x1, y1) and the second ordered pair (5,2,000) as (x2, y2):

m = (2,000 - 2,600) / (5 - 2)
= -600 / 3
= -200

So, we have found that the slope (m) is -200.

Next, we need to find the y-intercept. We can choose any of the ordered pairs to substitute into the equation:

Using the first ordered pair (2,600) as (x, y):

y = mx + b
2,600 = -200(2) + b
2,600 = -400 + b
2,600 + 400 = b
b = 3,000

So, the y-intercept (b) is 3,000.

Putting the values of the slope and y-intercept into the equation y = mx + b, we get:

y = -200x + 3,000

Therefore, the equation describing the relationship between the number of years past 1998 and the value of the computer is:

A) y = -200x + 3,000

To write an equation describing the relationship between the number of years past 1998 and the value of the computer, let's use the ordered pairs given: (2, 2600) and (5, 2000).

The general form of a linear equation is y = mx + b, where m represents the slope and b represents the y-intercept.

To determine the slope, we can use the formula: m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1).

Using the first pair (2, 2600) and the second pair (5, 2000), we can calculate the slope:

m = (2000 - 2600) / (5 - 2)
m = -600 / 3
m = -200

Now that we know the slope, we need to find the y-intercept (b).

For the point (2, 2600), we can substitute the values into the equation: 2600 = -200(2) + b.

2600 = -400 + b
b = 2600 + 400
b = 3000

Putting it all together, the equation describing the relationship is:

y = -200x + 3000

Therefore, the correct option is A) y = -200x + 3000.