A graph of the cost of gas purchased depending on the number of gallons pumped has the points (4,15)

(
4
,
15
)
and (8,30)
(
8
,
30
)
. What is the rate of change in the cost of the gas as each gallon is pumped?

1 answer

To find the rate of change in the cost of gas per gallon, we can use the two given points: \((4, 15)\) and \((8, 30)\). The first coordinate in each point represents the number of gallons, and the second coordinate represents the cost of gas in dollars.

The rate of change can be calculated using the formula for slope:

\[ \text{slope} = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \]

Where:

  • \((x_1, y_1) = (4, 15)\)
  • \((x_2, y_2) = (8, 30)\)

Substituting the values into the formula:

\[ \text{slope} = \frac{30 - 15}{8 - 4} = \frac{15}{4} = 3.75 \]

Thus, the rate of change in the cost of gas as each gallon is pumped is \(3.75\) dollars per gallon.