Question

In Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful is a geyser named for its consistency, as it faithfully erupts on average every 90 minutes. What type of function would best model the water output per minute from Old Faithful?
A. a linear function
B. a quadratic function
C. a periodic function
D. an exponential function

Answer 1

The best type of function to model the water output per minute from Old Faithful would be **C. a periodic function**. This is because Old Faithful erupts at regular intervals (approximately every 90 minutes), which indicates a repeating cycle of behavior in its water output over time. Periodic functions are ideal for situations where events occur at regular intervals, such as the eruptions of a geyser.