Read each of the following descriptions, and identify the two quantities that

are involved in the linear relationship.
• the distance traveled by a car traveling at 40 miles per hour is
proportional to the time spent traveling
• the total cost of buying bottles of water at $2.50 per bottle and a
water jug at $20
• the area of a rectangle is proportional to the length and width of the
rectangle
• the volume of a rectangular prism is proportional to the length, width,
and height of a rectangular prism
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B. For each description in part A, write a linear equation to model the
relationship between the two quantities.
C. For each equation in part B, explain the meaning of the slope and 𝑦𝑦-intercept
in the context of the situation described.
D. For each equation in part B, create a table of values and use the table of
values to graph the relationship between the two quantities.

1 answer

Let's break down each of the descriptions provided, identify the quantities involved, formulate linear equations, and analyze their slope and y-intercept.

A. Identification of Quantities

  1. Distance Traveled by a Car:

    • Quantities: Distance (d), Time (t)
  2. Total Cost of Buying Bottles of Water:

    • Quantities: Total Cost (C), Number of Bottles (n)
  3. Area of a Rectangle:

    • Quantities: Area (A), Length (l), Width (w)
  4. Volume of a Rectangular Prism:

    • Quantities: Volume (V), Length (l), Width (w), Height (h)

B. Linear Equations

  1. Distance Traveled by a Car:

    • Equation: \( d = 40t \)
  2. Total Cost of Buying Bottles of Water:

    • Equation: \( C = 2.5n + 20 \)
  3. Area of a Rectangle (assuming a fixed width):

    • Equation: \( A = l \times w \). If \( w \) is constant: \( A = kw \), where \( k \) is the width.
  4. Volume of a Rectangular Prism (assuming a specific height):

    • Equation: \( V = l \times w \times h \). If \( h \) is constant: \( V = k \times (l \times w) \).

C. Explanation of Slope and y-intercept

  1. Distance Traveled by a Car \( d = 40t \):

    • Slope: 40 (miles per hour) – it represents the speed of the car.
    • y-intercept: 0 (the car starts at 0 distance when time is 0).
  2. Total Cost of Buying Bottles of Water \( C = 2.5n + 20 \):

    • Slope: 2.5 (dollars per bottle) – it represents the cost of each bottle of water.
    • y-intercept: 20 (the cost of the water jug) – this is the fixed cost before buying any bottles.
  3. Area of a Rectangle \( A = lw \) with constant width \( w \):

    • Slope: \( w \) (constant) – the area increases linearly as the length increases.
    • y-intercept: 0 (when length is 0, the area is 0).
  4. Volume of a Rectangular Prism \( V = lwh \) with constant height \( h \):

    • Slope: \( wh \) (product of width and height) – it represents how the volume increases with more length.
    • y-intercept: 0 (when there is no length, the volume is 0).

D. Creating Tables and Graphs

1. Distance Traveled by a Car: d = 40t

| Time \( t \) (hours) | Distance \( d \) (miles) | |-----------------------|--------------------------| | 0 | 0 | | 1 | 40 | | 2 | 80 | | 3 | 120 | | 4 | 160 |

Graph: A straight line through (0,0) with a slope of 40.


2. Total Cost of Buying Bottles of Water: C = 2.5n + 20

| Number of Bottles \( n \) | Total Cost \( C \) (dollars) | |----------------------------|-------------------------------| | 0 | 20 | | 1 | 22.50 | | 2 | 25 | | 3 | 27.50 | | 4 | 30 |

Graph: A straight line starting from (0,20) with a slope of 2.5.


3. Area of a Rectangle (Assuming width \( w = 2 \)): A = 2l

| Length \( l \) (units) | Area \( A \) (square units) | |-------------------------|------------------------------| | 0 | 0 | | 1 | 2 | | 2 | 4 | | 3 | 6 | | 4 | 8 |

Graph: A straight line through (0,0) with a slope of 2.


4. Volume of a Rectangular Prism (Assuming width \( w = 2 \) and height \( h = 3 \)): V = 6l

| Length \( l \) (units) | Volume \( V \) (cubic units) | |-------------------------|-------------------------------| | 0 | 0 | | 1 | 6 | | 2 | 12 | | 3 | 18 | | 4 | 24 |

Graph: A straight line through (0,0) with a slope of 6.

Summary

  • Each description relates two quantities in a linear way.
  • The slope typically represents the rate of change, while the y-intercept indicates the starting value when the independent variable (time, number of bottles, length, etc.) is zero.
  • Values were tabulated to facilitate graphing, showing the linear relationship visually.