Final answer:
By solving the equations y = 0.2x + 6.5 for non-procrastinators and y = 0.9x + 3 for procrastinators, we find that both groups report the same number of symptoms by the end of the 5th week of the semester.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the week where both groups of college students reported the same number of physical illness symptoms, we need to set the two equations equal to each other and solve for x, which represents the number of passed weeks of the semester.
For non-procrastinators, the number of symptoms, y, is given by the function y = 0.2x + 6.5. For procrastinators, the function is y = 0.9x + 3. Setting these two equations equal to each other:
0.2x + 6.5 = 0.9x + 3
Now, we will subtract 0.2x from both sides to get:
6.5 = 0.7x + 3
Next, we subtract 3 from both sides:
3.5 = 0.7x
Finally, to find x, we divide both sides by 0.7:
x = 5
Therefore, at the end of the 5th week, both procrastinators and non-procrastinators reported the same number of symptoms.