Question

Which equation describes the relationship between x, the time in minutes, and y, the amount of water in gallons?

A.
y
=
x
4

B.
y
=
4
x

C.
y
=
15
x

D.
y
=
x
15

Answer 1

To determine which equation describes the relationship between \( x \) (the time in minutes) and \( y \) (the amount of water in gallons), we need to consider what a realistic relationship might look like.

- Option A: \( y = \frac{x}{4} \) suggests that as time increases, the amount of water decreases, which doesn't make sense in a typical scenario.

- Option B: \( y = 4x \) suggests that for every minute, 4 gallons of water is produced or consumed, which is a plausible positive correlation.

- Option C: \( y = 15x \) suggests that for every minute, 15 gallons of water is produced or consumed, which is also plausible but indicates a faster rate than Option B.

- Option D: \( y = \frac{x}{15} \) suggests a decrease in water amount as time increases, which also doesn't make sense.

Based on the typical assumptions for such relationships, either Option B \( y = 4x \) or Option C \( y = 15x \) could be reasonable depending on the context (e.g., a flow rate or consumption rate). If we assume a constant rate with reasonable values, **Option B \( y = 4x \)** is generally a good baseline for a context where water is accumulating over time.

Thus, the equation that most likely describes the relationship is:

**B. \( y = 4x \)**