Let x = the number of non-federal hazardous waste sites and let y = the number of federal hazardous waste sites. The ordered pairs (x, y) below represent the number of sites in eleven states with at least 11, but less than 15 total sites.

Question

Alabama (9, 3)
Arkansas (11, 0)
Colorado (12, 3)
Connecticut (13, 1)
Georgia (13, 2)
Louisiana (12, 1)
Maine (9, 3)
Maryland (10, 3)
Rhode Island (10, 2)
Tennessee (10, 3)
Utah (8, 4)

a function
a relation that is not a function
a sequence
a series

I'm thinking either nonfunction or series?

Answer 1

What does the set of ordered pairs describe?
^ that's what the question was.

Answer 2

Note that Alabama and Main both have (9,3) as the number of sites, Tennessee and Maryland both have (10,3) as the number of sites.

Assuming the states are the domain, and the ordered pairs represent the range, determine if the given list describes a function or not. If you are not sure, review the definition of a function.

Answer 3

I already said I think it's a nonfunction. But couldn't it also be a series?

Answer 4

You did not have a preference on either one, so in my books, you were undecided.

A series requires a numeric quantify to order quantify the term, as in T(n) for the nth term, while states could be in any order. I would not consider the above as a series.

If you take a look at the arrow diagram that relates two sets of quantities, you will find a lot of resemblance with a relation.