Let y = 4t + 2 be a linear function representing the distance from home for an ant t minutes after starting out from a location near its home. What does the number 4 represent in this function?

The ant is 4 feet from its home after t minutes.

The ant started out 4 feet from its home.

The ant is crawling at 4 feet per minute.

The ant is moving 4 feet every 2 minutes.

is it crawling 4 feet per every minute?

In the given linear function, y = 4t + 2, the number 4 represents the rate at which the ant is moving away from its home. Since the rate is given in terms of feet per minute, it means that the ant is crawling at a speed of 4 feet per minute.

To determine this, you can look at the coefficient of t in the linear function. The coefficient of t represents the rate of change of y with respect to t, which in this case is the speed of the ant. Therefore, the number 4 corresponds to the crawling speed of the ant.

also does the 2 in the equation represent the distance that the ant started out from its home?

yes and yes

oh okay, thank you

how about letting t = 1, 2, 3, 4, ... minutes

and then interpret the results.
What do you notice about the distance for every minute of change in time.