The following equation represents the cost of buying a meal with one meat and options for the number of side dishes, x .

y = 11 + 1.25x

What does the y-intercept mean in context?

In the context of the equation, the y-intercept represents the initial cost of buying a meal without any side dishes. In this case, the y-intercept is 11, so it means that the base cost of buying a meal with one meat and no side dishes is $11.