Use the table to answer the question.
x
(time in years) 0 2 4
y
(height of tree in feet) 3 6 9
Interpret the y
-intercept and slope in the context of this situation. For the slope, give the most simplified rate using whole numbers.(2 points)
The y
-intercept is
feet. The slope is
feet every
year(s).
The y-intercept in this situation represents the starting height of the tree when x (time) is 0. In this case, the tree is 3 feet tall when it is first planted, so the y-intercept is 3 feet.
The slope in this situation represents the rate at which the height of the tree increases every year. To find the slope, we can use the formula (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1). Using the points (0,3) and (4,9), we get:
(9 - 3) / (4 - 0)
6 / 4
3/2
So the slope is 3/2 feet every 2 years, or 1.5 feet every year.