Would these be good examples...
Linear:
Suppose a water district wants to know how much snowmelt runoff it can expect this year. The melt comes from a big valley, and every year the district measures the snowpack and the water supply. It gets 60 acre-feet from every 6 inches of snowpack. This year surveyors measure 6 feet and 4 inches of snow. The district put that in the linear expression (60 acre-feet/6 inches) * 76 inches. Water officials can expect 760 acre-feet of snowmelt from the water.
Nonlinear:
You went on a diet and start at 150 lbs you loose the weight steadily 1/8 lbs over 10 days.
I need to describe a situation that's linear and nonlinear, but I'm not sure how.
Can someone explain, or give an example?
2 answers
the diet looks linear to me. 1/80 lb/day.
A cup of coffee cooling is non-linear. The amount of temperature drop depends on the difference in temperature between the coffee and the room. The cooler the coffee gets, the more slowly it cools.
Or radioactive decay is non-linear. Or interest earned with compounding. Or rabbit population.
A cup of coffee cooling is non-linear. The amount of temperature drop depends on the difference in temperature between the coffee and the room. The cooler the coffee gets, the more slowly it cools.
Or radioactive decay is non-linear. Or interest earned with compounding. Or rabbit population.
2 answers