INT Algebra

Catherine Matta
904
Scholars Challenge 4
Choice B
Water Boy

A water boy calculates and observes the number of gallons of water
the players drink depending on the temperature on a given day in
Fahrenheit. When the temperature is 76F, the players consume about
178 gallons of water. As the water boy observes and calculates the amount
of water the players drink, when the temperature is 90F, the players
drink/consume about 220 gallons of water. He notices that there is a linear
function, but he does not know how to find the equation. What steps is he
supposed to do to find the equation? He is also supposed to graph the
function and explain the context of the rate of change/slope in this problem
to help the players consume the right amount of water each day.
Initially, the first thing he is supposed to do is make a table of x and y
values to organize the data he has in this problem. When he places the
values in the table, the temperatures, 76F and 90F, must go in the x
column. Then he has to place the amount of water, in gallons, which are
178 gallons and 220 gallons, must go in the y column. Now, the table he
made of x and y values will organize the data and help him find the rate of
change or the slope. He could easily find the equation by looking at how
the inputs and the outputs have changed from its previous value. The
change in the input or x is 14, while the change in the output or y is 42. To
find the rate of change, he must divide the change of y by the change of x.
Therefore, he must divide 42 by 14 to get the answer as 3, making the
slope in this problem 3.
Furthermore, the water boy needs to find the y-intercept to complete
the equation. He is required to find the equation for this function using the
formula y=mx+b, where m represents the slope/rate of change and b
represents the y-intercept. Using prior knowledge, to find the y-intercept, he
could either do two things, use the equation b=y-mx or plug in the x and y
numbers to find the value b. Using b= y-mx is faster, but not everybody
knows this equation, but both ways will get the same answer. He chooses
to use b=y-mx, he plugged in the values as 220 for y and 90 for x, making
the equation look like b=(220)-3(90). The answer he should get is -50 for
the y-intercept. The equation he has now is y=3x-50. The rate of change
means in the context of this problem that whenever the temperature goes
up by 1F, the players consume 3 more gallons of water. This linear
function has an constant,increasing rate of change of 3.
Ultimately, I chose choice B and not choice A because I found choice
B to be more challenging than choice A. The challenge the water boy has
to find the equation for the number of gallons of water the players drink
depending on the temperature on a given day in Fahrenheit. The water boy
observes and calculates the amount of water the players drink, when the
temperature is 90F, the players drink/consume about 220 gallons of water.
After observing the players many times, he notices that when the
temperature is 76F, the players consume about 178 gallons of water.He is
supposed to graph the function and explain the context of the rate of
change/slope in this problem to help the players consume the right amount
of water each day.He notices that there is a linear function, but he does not
know how to find the equation. What steps is he supposed to do to find the
equation?










Problem Solving

X(Temperature, in Fahrenheit) Y(Number of gallons of water)
76F 178 gallons
90F 220 gallons

Roc
Change in Y
Change of X
=
42
14
=3 Roc=3
y=mx+b b=y-mx
y=3x-50 b=220-30(90)
b=220-270
b=-50

Check for equation Check for y-intercept
y=3(90)-50 b=y-mx
y=270-50 b=178-3(76)
y=220 b=178-228
b=-50
y=3(78)-50
y=228-50
y=178

Let x represent the temperature in F.
Let m represent the slope or the Rate of change.
Let b represent the y-intercept.
Let y represent the amount of water the players consume
in gallons.