To find the equation of the linear function that models the relationship between the number of cubic yards of soil (let's denote this as \( y \)) and the total cost (let's denote this as \( m \)), we can first determine the slope of the linear function using the given data points.
We have two points based on Alayah's orders:
- Point 1: (4, 220) – corresponding to 4 cubic yards costing $220.
- Point 2: (7, 340) – corresponding to 7 cubic yards costing $340.
Step 1: Calculate the slope (\( m \))
The formula for the slope \( m \) between two points \((x_1, y_1)\) and \((x_2, y_2)\) is given by:
\[ m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1} \]
Using our points:
- \( (x_1, y_1) = (4, 220) \)
- \( (x_2, y_2) = (7, 340) \)
Substituting the values into the formula:
\[ m = \frac{340 - 220}{7 - 4} = \frac{120}{3} = 40 \]
This tells us that the cost increases by $40 for each additional cubic yard of soil.
Step 2: Find the y-intercept (\( b \))
We can use one of the points to solve for the y-intercept \( b \). The linear equation is in the form:
\[ m = ax + b \]
Where \( a \) is the slope (which we found to be 40). We'll use one of the points to find \( b \). Let's use the point (4, 220):
\[ 220 = 40(4) + b \]
Calculating it:
\[ 220 = 160 + b \] \[ b = 220 - 160 = 60 \]
Final Equation
Now, we have both the slope \( m = 40 \) and the y-intercept \( b = 60 \). The equation of the linear function that models the relationship between cubic yards ordered (let \( x \) be the number of cubic yards) and total cost \( y \) is:
\[ y = 40x + 60 \]
So, the final answer in the required form \( ymz + b \) is:
\[ y = 40x + 60 \]