From the information provided, we can infer the following:

• Initial Height: Lisa’s tree is 3 inches when she first plants it (at month 0).

• Growth Per Month: The tree grows about 1.25 inches each month. This is calculated by taking the difference between the heights at two different months (for example, between months 3 and 7):

  $\frac{29.75 - 24.75}{7 - 3} = \frac{5}{4} = 1.25 \text{ inches per month}$

• In 2.5 years:

  • 2.5 years = 30 months (since 1 year = 12 months, so 2.5 years = 2.5 × 12 = 30 months).
  • After 30 months, the height of the tree can be found by adding the growth per month over 30 months to the initial height:

  $\text{Height after 30 months} = 3 \text{ in.} + 1.25 \times 30 = 3 + 37.5 = 40.5 \text{ inches}$

Completing the statements:

• Lisa’s tree is 3 inches when she first plants it, and it grows 1.25 inches each month. In 2.5 years, the tree will be 40.5 inches tall.

Would you like further details or clarifications? Here are 5 related questions:

1. How can we use the rate of growth to predict future heights for the tree?
2. What is the formula for linear growth in situations like this?
3. How would you calculate the tree’s height at the end of 1 year?
4. How do you determine if the growth rate is constant over time?
5. What if the tree's growth rate started to slow down after a few years—how would we adjust our calculations?

Tip: When calculating growth over time, remember that the rate (inches per month) stays the same if the growth is linear, making predictions easier.