To determine the rate of change (slope) \( m \) of the linear function given in the table, we can use the formula for slope:
\[ m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \]
From the table provided, we have the points:
- \( (x_1, y_1) = (2.6, -6) \)
- \( (x_2, y_2) = (3.2, 3) \)
Now, we can substitute these values into the slope formula:
\[ m = \frac{3 - (-6)}{3.2 - 2.6} \]
Calculating the numerator:
\[ 3 - (-6) = 3 + 6 = 9 \]
Calculating the denominator:
\[ 3.2 - 2.6 = 0.6 \]
Now, substituting back into the slope formula:
\[ m = \frac{9}{0.6} \]
To calculate \( \frac{9}{0.6} \):
\[ m = 15 \]
Thus, the rate of change of the linear function is:
m = 15