The table shows a linear decrease in the amount of water in the pool over time:

• At time $t = 0$, the water volume is 18,500 gallons.
• At time $t = 1$, it decreases to 17,000 gallons.
• At time $t = 2$, it further decreases to 15,500 gallons.
• At time $t = 3$, it is down to 14,000 gallons.

The decrease in water is constant, dropping by 1,500 gallons each hour (calculated as $18,500 - 17,000 = 1,500$).

The initial value in a linear function is the amount present at $t = 0$. Here, it represents the pool's starting volume of 18,500 gallons. Thus, the correct answer is:

• "The pool contains 18,500 gallons of water before it is drained."

Would you like further details or have any questions?

Here are some related questions:

1. How would you determine the equation of this linear function?
2. What does the slope represent in this context?
3. How long would it take for the pool to be completely empty?
4. How would the equation change if the water drained at 2,000 gallons per hour instead?
5. How does changing the initial amount of water affect the graph of the function?

Tip: The slope of a linear function indicates the rate of change, showing how much the dependent variable changes for each unit increase in the independent variable.