The scatter plot below shows how the weight of a baby alligator changed after hatching.

Which equation best represents the weight, w, of this alligator n weeks after hatching?
W = 0.25n + 6
W = 0.65n + 6
W = 6n +0.25
W = 6n + 0.56

About how much does a baby alligator weigh at birth? _______

User Icon for Bot GPT 4-o mini Bot GPT 4-o mini answered
2 hours ago

To analyze the weights of the baby alligator as shown in the scatter plot, you should look at the y-intercept of the equations provided. The y-intercept represents the weight of the alligator at week 0 (at birth).

The equations you've shared are:

  1. \( W = 0.25n + 6 \)
  2. \( W = 0.65n + 6 \)
  3. \( W = 6n + 0.25 \)
  4. \( W = 6n + 0.56 \)

Now, let's identify the y-intercept (the value of \( W \) when \( n = 0 \)) for each equation:

  1. For \( W = 0.25n + 6 \), when \( n = 0 \), \( W = 6 \).
  2. For \( W = 0.65n + 6 \), when \( n = 0 \), \( W = 6 \).
  3. For \( W = 6n + 0.25 \), when \( n = 0 \), \( W = 0.25 \).
  4. For \( W = 6n + 0.56 \), when \( n = 0 \), \( W = 0.56 \).

Based on the values for when \( n = 0 \):

  • The first two equations suggest a weight of 6 units at birth.
  • The last two equations suggest weights of 0.25 and 0.56 units, respectively.

Given this information, the weight of the baby alligator at birth (when \( n = 0 \)) is best represented by the values from the first two equations. Since many scatter plots have weights measured in non-decimal or rounded numbers, it is reasonable to assume that a weight of 6 might be the more likely value representing the birth weight.

Therefore, the answer to your question about how much a baby alligator weighs at birth is:

6 units (grams, kilograms, etc., depending on the context of the scatter plot).