Question

The table below shows the cost of tuition at a local community college based on the number of credit hours a student is registered for.
1. Use the information from the table to draw a graph in excel with credit hours on the x axis and cost on the y axis.
2. Explain why a linear equation seems like a reasonable choice for modeling this data.
3. Find the slope of the line and explain what it means.
4. Find the y intercept of the line and explain what it means.
5. Use the form y = mx + b to write an equation for the line.
6. Write your equation in the form of a statement: “If x represents __________, then y = __________represents __________."
7. Use your equation to find the cost of taking 8 credit hours, and the number of credits taken by a student with a tuition bill of $2,170.

Credit Hours	Cost ($)
12	1435
15	1750

16 1855

Answer 1

we have two points ( 12, 1435 ) , ( 15 , 1750 )

slope = ( 1750 - 1435 ) / ( 15 - 12 ) = 105

slope here means cost of tution per credit hour

using point slope form of equation

y - 1435 = 105 ( x - 12 )

y = 105x + 175

if x represents credit hours , then y represents cost of tution

7) plugging x = 8 in the equation

y = 105 (8) + 175

so, cost of taking 8 credit hours = $ 1015

plugging y = 2170

2170 = 105x + 175

2170 - 175 = 105 x

x = 19

so, number of credits taken by a student with bill $ 2170 is 19 hours

graph shown below

so, y intercept is 175