Question

The table shows the numbers of ships that visited a port in the past 5 years. Identify a polynomial function for the number of ships in thousands that visited the port in a given year.

P(x) = 1.3x3 + 0.1x2 + 2.8x
P(x) = 1.3x2 + 0.1x + 2.8
P(x) = 1.3x2 + 0.2x − 2.8
P(x) = 2.3x2 + 0.2x + 1.8

Answer 1

The polynomial function P(x) = 1.3x3 + 0.1x2 + 2.8x would best represent the number of ships in thousands that visited the port in a given year.

Step-by-step explanation:

The table shows the numbers of ships that visited a port in the past 5 years.

To identify a polynomial function for the number of ships in thousands that visited the port in a given year, we need to look for a pattern in the data. Based on the given table, the polynomial function P(x) = 1.3x3 + 0.1x2 + 2.8x would best represent the number of ships in thousands that visited the port in a given year.