A cheerleading squad is selling car decals as a fundraiser. The total dollar amount of sales, y, of x decals sold is represented by the following equation.

y = 2.5x

Create a graph to represent this proportional relationship.

1 answer

To represent the proportional relationship described by the equation \( y = 2.5x \), you can create a graph using the following steps:

  1. Identify Points: You can choose a range of values for \( x \) (the number of decals sold) and calculate the corresponding \( y \) values (total dollar amount of sales).

    Here are a few sample points:

    • If \( x = 0 \): \[ y = 2.5(0) = 0 \]
    • If \( x = 1 \): \[ y = 2.5(1) = 2.5 \]
    • If \( x = 2 \): \[ y = 2.5(2) = 5 \]
    • If \( x = 3 \): \[ y = 2.5(3) = 7.5 \]
    • If \( x = 4 \): \[ y = 2.5(4) = 10 \]
    • If \( x = 5 \): \[ y = 2.5(5) = 12.5 \]
  2. Plot the Points: On a graph, plot the points (0,0), (1,2.5), (2,5), (3,7.5), (4,10), and (5,12.5) on a coordinate system where the x-axis represents the number of decals sold and the y-axis represents the total dollar amount of sales.

  3. Draw the Line: Since this relationship is proportional (linear), you can connect the points with a straight line that extends in both directions.

  4. Label the Axes:

    • Label the x-axis as "Number of Decals Sold (x)".
    • Label the y-axis as "Total Sales ($, y)".
    • You might also want to include a title for the graph, such as "Sales from Car Decal Fundraiser".
  5. Add Scale: Ensure to mark the appropriate scale on both axes to account for the values.

Here's a simple outline of how the graph will look:

   y
   |
12.5|          *
   |
10  |      *
   |
 7.5|  *
   |
 5  |*
   |
 2.5|*
   |
 0  |___________________ x
     0  1  2  3  4  5

Note: For an accurate visual representation, you can use graphing software or graph paper to plot these points and draw the line more precisely.