To determine the slope (which represents the common difference in an arithmetic sequence) of the muffins baked by Alex and Jesse, we can examine the sequence of muffins baked over the three days:
- Day 1: 5 muffins
- Day 2: 11 muffins
- Day 3: 17 muffins
Now, let's calculate the differences between consecutive days:
- From Day 1 to Day 2: \(11 - 5 = 6\)
- From Day 2 to Day 3: \(17 - 11 = 6\)
The common difference (or slope) is 6.
Thus, the answer is 6.