Question

In 1995, the poverty threshold for a family of four with two children under the age of 18 years was $15,651. In 2005, the poverty threshold for a similar family was $19,854. Assuming poverty thresholds increase in a straight-line fashion, use the midpoint formula to estimate the poverty threshold of a similar family in 2000.

The poverty threshold of a family of four with two children under the age of 18 in 2000 is $_______.

Answer 1

To estimate the poverty threshold for a family of four with two children in 2000, we use the midpoint formula with the values from 1995 and 2005. After averaging the 1995 threshold of $15,651 and the 2005 threshold of $19,854, we find that the estimated poverty threshold for 2000 is $17,752.50.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is about estimating the poverty threshold for a family of four with two children under the age of 18 in the year 2000. To do so, we employ the midpoint formula, commonly used in mathematics to find the value at the midpoint between two known values on a straight line. The formula is essentially an average of the beginning and ending values.

The poverty thresholds in question are:

• 1995: $15,651
• 2005: $19,854

To find the midpoint value (the poverty threshold in 2000), we add the two known thresholds and divide by two:

(1995 threshold + 2005 threshold) / 2 = ($15,651 + $19,854) / 2

By calculating this, we get:

(15651 + 19854) / 2 = 35505 / 2 = $17,752.50

Therefore, the estimated poverty threshold for the year 2000 for a family of four with two children under the age of 18 is $17,752.50.