This table shows the hourly earnings of Employee 1 along with the corresponding total earnings based on hours worked.

Employee 1 Earnings per Hour
Hours
1
2
3
Earnings
10
20
30

A line graph is titled as Employee 2, Earnings per Hour. The x-axis is labeled Hours ranging from 0 to 6 in increments of 1. The y-axis is labeled Earnings in dollars, ranging from 0 to 80 in increments of 5. A solid line joins four plotted points. The coordinates of the plotted points are as follows: left parenthesis 0 comma 0 right parenthesis, left parenthesis 1 comma 15 right parenthesis, left parenthesis 3 comma 45 right parenthesis, and left parenthesis 5 comma 75 right parenthesis.

The proportional relationship for the earnings and hours worked for Employee 1 is displayed in the table. The proportional relationship between the earnings and hours worked for Employee 2 is displayed in the graph. What is the equation that represents the proportional relationship between the earnings and hours worked for Employee 1 and Employee 2?

1 answer

To represent the proportional relationships for Employee 1 and Employee 2, we use the formula for direct variation, which states that \( E = k \cdot h \), where \( E \) is earnings, \( h \) is hours worked, and \( k \) is the constant of proportionality (earnings per hour).

Employee 1

From the table provided for Employee 1, we can see:

  • At 1 hour, the earnings are $10, so \( k = 10 \) (earnings per hour).
  • Therefore, the equation for Employee 1 is: \[ E_1 = 10h \]

Employee 2

From the plotted points for Employee 2, we can derive the earnings per hour:

  • From the coordinate points provided:
    • At 1 hour, the earnings are $15.
    • At 5 hours, the earnings are $75.
  • This indicates a consistent rate of earnings per hour.

To find the constant of proportionality:

  • Since the earnings and hours for Employee 2 shows that earning $75 corresponds to 5 hours, we can calculate: \[ k = \frac{E}{h} = \frac{75}{5} = 15 \]
  • Therefore, the equation for Employee 2 is: \[ E_2 = 15h \]

Summary of the Equations

Thus, the equations representing the proportional relationships between earnings and hours worked for both employees are:

  • For Employee 1: \[ E_1 = 10h \]
  • For Employee 2: \[ E_2 = 15h \]