To predict the number of hours of sleep based on the number of cups of coffee consumed, you can substitute the value of \( x \) into the equation \( y = 8 - 0.5x \).
Given that \( x = 4 \) (the number of cups of coffee consumed):
\[ y = 8 - 0.5(4) \]
Calculating this step-by-step:
- \( 0.5 \times 4 = 2 \)
- \( y = 8 - 2 \)
- \( y = 6 \)
Therefore, if someone drinks 4 cups of coffee during the day, they should expect to sleep 6 hours.