In 2025, a new social media site decides to focus only on negative feedback to identify possible predators or people to avoid. It allows users to flag other users who say or do something inappropriate. Each user starts with a rating of 500 and loses 10 points each time they are flagged.
a) Define the variables in the situation.
b) Write an equation to show the total number of points a user has based on the number of times he or she is flagged.
c) If a user has 330 points, how many times have they been flagged?
d) Identify and interpret the y-intercept.
x = # times flagged
y = score
So, y = 500 - 10x
I think the rest should be doable now ...
a) In this situation, the variables would be:
- Total number of points: This represents the total number of points a user has based on their behavior on the social media site. It starts at 500 and decreases by 10 points each time they are flagged.
- Number of times a user is flagged: This represents the number of times a user has been flagged for saying or doing something inappropriate on the social media site.
b) The equation to show the total number of points a user has based on the number of times they are flagged would be:
Total Number of Points = 500 - (10 x Number of Times Flagged)
In this equation, we start with the initial number of points (500) and subtract 10 points for each time the user is flagged.
c) If a user has 330 points, we can use the equation to calculate the number of times they have been flagged:
330 = 500 - (10 x Number of Times Flagged)
First, we isolate the variable by subtracting 500 from both sides:
-170 = -10 x Number of Times Flagged
Then, we divide both sides by -10 to solve for the Number of Times Flagged:
Number of Times Flagged = -170 / -10
Number of Times Flagged = 17
Therefore, if a user has 330 points, they have been flagged 17 times.
d) The y-intercept in this situation represents the initial number of points a user starts with (500) before they are flagged. It is the point on the graph where the Number of Times Flagged is 0. In this case, the y-intercept is (0, 500).
Interpreting the y-intercept, it means that when a user has not been flagged at all (0 times flagged), they start with 500 points. This represents the base rating or starting point for every user on the social media site before any flags or negative feedback are received.