Marco planted a tree that was 54 inches tall several years ago. The tree has grown at a rate of approximately 1.5 inches per year. Marco uses this equation to calculate the tree’s height,

Question

.

What does the
represent in this equation?

A.
The
represents the tree’s growth each year.

B.
The
represents the height of the tree today.

C.
The
represents the number of years since the tree was planted.

D.
The
represents the starting height of the tree.

Answer 1

To determine what the variable represents in the context of Marco's tree growth equation, we can analyze the options you've provided:

1. Option A: The height growth each year is specified as 1.5 inches per year. However, this typically would correspond to a coefficient, not a standalone variable.

2. Option B: The tree's height today would be the result of the equation, not a variable within it.

3. Option C: The number of years since the tree was planted is usually represented by a variable (often denoted as \( t \) or \( x \)), making this a likely candidate for what the variable represents.

4. Option D: The starting height of the tree (54 inches, in this case) would be a constant, typically denoted in the equation, rather than a variable.

Given these considerations, the correct answer would be: C. The variable represents the number of years since the tree was planted.