The equation d = 4 - 1/15t represents your distance from home, d, for each minute you walk, t. If you graphed this equation, determine whether you are walking toward or away from home and explain.

Question

A. away from home since the slope is positive, and the distance from home is increasing.
B. toward home since the slope is negative, and distance from home is decreasing.
C. Toward home since the y-intercept is positive.

Answer 1

The correct answer is A. away from home since the slope is positive, and the distance from home is increasing.

In the equation d = 4 - 1/15t, the coefficient of t is -1/15, which is negative. However, when we interpret the equation, we can see that the negative sign is applied to the fraction, not the entire equation.

So, if we consider the equation without the negative sign, it becomes d = 4 + 1/15t. Here, the slope is positive, as the coefficient of t is positive. This means that for each minute you walk (t increases), the distance from home (d) increases.

Therefore, you are walking away from home, as the distance from home is increasing.