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What is the interpretation of the slope in the context of this problem regarding the quantity of coffee sold at different prices?

a) The slope represents the price per pound of coffee.
b) The slope represents the quantity of coffee sold per pound.
c) The slope represents the change in price for a given change in quantity sold.
d) The slope represents the change in quantity sold for a given change in price.

User Priebe
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The slope in the context of quantity of coffee sold at different prices represents the change in quantity sold for a given change in price, meaning it indicates how much the quantity sold changes on average for each one-unit increase in price.

Step-by-step explanation:

The interpretation of the slope in a problem regarding the quantity of coffee sold at different prices reflects the relationship between two variables, which in this context are price and quantity. When we examine a positive slope, it signifies a positive relationship between the two, meaning as the price increases (independent variable x), the quantity supplied also increases (dependent variable y), and vice versa.

Given this context, the correct interpretation of the slope would be d) The slope represents the change in quantity sold for a given change in price. This means for every one unit increase in price, there is a corresponding increase in the quantity of coffee sold, on average.

An important observation is that the algebraic sign of the slope indicates the direction of this relationship. A negative slope would suggest that as the price of coffee increases, the quantity sold decreases, which generally represents a consumer demand curve, whereas a positive slope as described generally represents a supply curve in economics.

User Eylen
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