The equation given is:

$s = 0.012x + 3.5$

where:

• $s$ represents the amount of snow (in inches) on the lawn.
• $x$ represents the number of minutes past noon.

The number $0.012$ in this equation likely represents the rate at which snow is accumulating. Specifically, this value indicates how much snow (in inches) is added to the lawn every minute. This is because the variable $x$ represents time in minutes, and multiplying it by $0.012$ gives the amount of snow accumulated as time progresses.

Therefore, the correct interpretation of $0.012$ is:

"How much more snow is added to the lawn every minute."

So, the correct answer is:

• How much more snow is added to the lawn every minute.

Would you like further clarification or details?

Here are 5 related questions to expand on this:

1. What does the number $3.5$ represent in the equation?
2. How much snow would be on the lawn after 10 minutes?
3. How would the equation change if the rate of snow accumulation doubled?
4. If the blizzard lasted for 2 hours, how much snow would accumulate by the end of the blizzard?
5. How can you graph this equation, and what does the slope represent?

Tip: The number multiplying the variable $x$ in a linear equation is often referred to as the "rate of change" or the "slope" in algebra.