3. The linear equation
represents an estimate of the average cost of gas for year x starting in 1997. The year 1997 would be represented by x = 1, for example, as it is the first year in the study. Similarly, 2005 would be year 9, or x = 9.
a) What year would be represented by x = 4?
b) What x-value represents the year 2018?
c) What is the slope (or rate of change) of this equation?
d) What is the y-intercept?
e) What does the y-intercept represent?
f) Assuming this growth trend continues, what will the price of gasoline be in the year 2018? How did you arrive at your answer?
You did not provide the equation.
a) To find the year represented by x = 4 in the linear equation, you can simply substitute x = 4 into the equation. In this case, the equation is not provided, so the specific year cannot be determined.
b) To find the x-value that represents the year 2018, you can use the equation provided with x as the independent variable and solve for x when the year is 2018. However, since the equation is not given, the x-value for the year 2018 cannot be determined.
c) The slope (or rate of change) of the equation can be determined if the equation is provided. Without the equation, it is not possible to determine the slope.
d) The y-intercept of the equation represents the value of y when x is zero. If the equation is given, you can substitute x = 0 into the equation to find the y-intercept. However, without the equation, the y-intercept cannot be determined.
e) The y-intercept represents the initial value of y when x is zero. In the context of the average cost of gas equation, the y-intercept would represent the average cost of gas in the year 1997 (or the starting point of the study).
f) Without the specific equation or any data points, it is not possible to provide an accurate estimation of the price of gasoline in the year 2018. The growth trend or any other assumptions cannot be considered without the equation or data.