A fish is swimming at a constant rate toward the ocean floor. The equation y = -7x - 3 can be
used to represent the situation, where y is the depth of the fish in meters below sea level and x is the number of seconds the fish has been swimming.
Which statement best describes the depth of the fish, given this equation?
• From a starting position of 3 meters below sea level, the fish is descending 3 meters per second.
• From a starting position of 3 meters below sea level, the fish is ascending 3 meters per second.
• From a starting position of 3 meters below sea level, the fish is descending 7 meters per second
• From a starting position of 3 meters below sea level, the fish is ascending 7 meters per second.
The correct statement is: From a starting position of 3 meters below sea level, the fish is descending 7 meters per second.
This is because the coefficient of x in the equation is -7, which represents the rate at which the fish is descending. The negative sign indicates that the fish is moving downwards, and the value of 7 indicates that it is descending at a rate of 7 meters per second.