Question

Two contestants on Get Fit TV Show are Valerie and Oscar. Their weight loss progress is shown below.

Valerie's weight loss is shown by this function, where W is her weight in pounds and t is the time in weeks.

W=235−2.5t
Oscar's weight loss is tracked in the table below.

Weeks 0 2 5 6
Weight 247 243 237 235


True or False: Oscar is losing weight faster than Valerie

Answer 1

How cool is that! I love real-life problems, do you?

V = 236 - 2.5t

O = 0, 2, 5, 6

247, 243, 237, 235

So let's try substituting some numbers in for Valerie. Let's do 0, 2, 5 and 6 to compare them to Oscar.

V = 236 - 2.5(0)
V = 236

She started at a lesser weight than Oscar.

Week 2:
V = 236 - 2.5(2)
V = 236 - 5
V = 231

So already, at week 2, Valerie lost 5 pounds compared to her first weight. Oscar lost 4 pounds. Valerie is losing weight faster than Oscar.

Week 5:
V = 236 - 2.5(5)
V = 236 - 12.5
V = 223.5

From week 2, she lost 12.5 pounds. Oscar lost 6 pounds. Looks like Valerie is losing weight faster!

So now, week 6.

V = 236 - 2.5(6)
V = 236 - 15
V = 221
Valerie lost 2.5 pounds compared to week 5.

Oscar lost 2 pounds compared to week 5.

True or False: you decide! :)