Determine the initial value and the rate of change in the following description.
Last year, Joshua’s tomato plant reached a maximum height of 2 feet. He is growing another tomato plant this year, and he is tracking its growth. The plant’s height today is 10 inches, and it grows 1.7 inches each day.
The initial value is b = ___, and the rate of change is m = ___.
The initial value, or the starting height of the tomato plant, is 2 feet. Since 1 foot is equal to 12 inches, the initial value is b = 2 * 12 = 24 inches.
The rate of change, or the amount the plant grows each day, is 1.7 inches. Therefore, the rate of change is m = 1.7 inches per day.