Math Problem Statement

Find the equation of the linear function represented by the table below in slope-intercept form. Table: | x | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | | y | -4 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 20 |

Solution

To find the equation of the linear function from the given table, we need to write the equation in slope-intercept form, which is:

y=mx+by = mx + b

Where:

  • mm is the slope of the line.
  • bb is the y-intercept (the value of yy when x=0x = 0).

Step 1: Find the slope (mm)

The slope mm is the rate of change of yy with respect to xx, which can be calculated as:

m=y2y1x2x1m = \frac{{y_2 - y_1}}{{x_2 - x_1}}

From the table, pick any two points. Let's take the points (x1,y1)=(0,4)(x_1, y_1) = (0, -4) and (x2,y2)=(1,2)(x_2, y_2) = (1, 2).

m=2(4)10=2+41=61=6m = \frac{{2 - (-4)}}{{1 - 0}} = \frac{2 + 4}{1} = \frac{6}{1} = 6

So, the slope m=6m = 6.

Step 2: Find the y-intercept (bb)

From the table, we can see that when x=0x = 0, y=4y = -4. Therefore, the y-intercept b=4b = -4.

Final Equation

Now that we know the slope and the y-intercept, the equation of the line is:

y=6x4y = 6x - 4

You can now enter this as the equation for the linear function.

Do you need further clarification or details? Here are some related questions:

  1. What is the general form of a linear equation?
  2. How can you determine the slope of a line from a table?
  3. What does the y-intercept represent in a real-world context?
  4. How do you verify if a table represents a linear function?
  5. Can we derive a linear equation using different pairs of points?

Tip: Always choose two clear points from the table to calculate the slope accurately.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Algebra
Linear Equations

Formulas

y = mx + b
m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1)

Theorems

Slope-Intercept Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 7-9