The cost, y, of taking a rideshare per hour, x, is shown in the table.

time (hours) 8 9 10 11 12
cost ($)
(
$
)
22.24 25.02 27.80 30.58 33.36
What type of function could be used to model the cost, y, of a rideshare as a function of time, x?

(1 point)
Responses

exponential decay function
exponential decay function

linear function
linear function

exponential growth function
exponential growth function

quadratic function

1 answer

To determine what type of function can model the cost of taking a rideshare as a function of time, we can analyze the data provided:

  • As the number of hours (x) increases from 8 to 12, the cost (y) also increases consistently.
  • The cost increase between consecutive hours appears to be a constant amount, suggesting a linear relationship.

Let's look at the differences:

  • From 8 to 9 hours, the cost increases from $22.24 to $25.02 (increase of $2.78).
  • From 9 to 10 hours, the cost increases from $25.02 to $27.80 (increase of $2.78).
  • From 10 to 11 hours, the cost increases from $27.80 to $30.58 (increase of $2.78).
  • From 11 to 12 hours, the cost increases from $30.58 to $33.36 (increase of $2.78).

Since the increase in cost is constant, the relationship between time and cost can be represented by a linear function.

Therefore, the correct response is:

linear function