In the expression \(5 + 3x\), each component can be interpreted in the context of Sara's computer hacking contest wins since 2018 as follows:
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5: This part of the expression represents the total number of contests that Sara had won by the end of 2018. It establishes a baseline or starting point for her wins.
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3: This coefficient indicates the rate at which Sara is winning contests per year. Specifically, it means that she is expected to win 3 additional contests for each year that passes after 2018.
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x: This variable represents the number of years since 2018. For example, if \(x = 1\), it signifies that one year has passed since 2018, so it would be the year 2019. If \(x = 2\), it would be the year 2020, and so on.
Putting it all together, the expression \(5 + 3x\) gives the total number of contests Sara has won by any given year, where you start with her 5 wins from 2018 and then add 3 wins for each additional year that has passed since then. For instance, if we wanted to calculate her total wins by 2021 (\(x = 3\)), it would be \(5 + 3(3) = 5 + 9 = 14\) total wins.
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