Question

A family is tracking its spending habits. Over the past year, the coffee bill has been from $55 to $105. Suppose you were going to plot these points on a coordinate grid.

(a) What is a good scale to use for the y-axis? Explain your reasoning.
a) $10
b) $20
c) $30
d) $40

Answer 1

The best scale to use for the y-axis when plotting a family's coffee bill ranging from $55 to $105 on a coordinate grid is $10 because it provides a detailed and precise representation of the spending increments.

Step-by-step explanation:

When plotting points on a coordinate grid for a family’s coffee bill spanning $55 to $105, choosing a good scale for the y-axis is essential for clarity and precision. Option (a) with a scale of $10 would be most appropriate, as it creates a scale that is granular enough to accurately represent all potential values the family might have spent, which range in increments as small as $1. With the smallest scale, the graph would have detailed demarcations allowing each increment between $55 and $105 to be plotted precisely. Options (b) $20, (c) $30, and (d) $40 scales would be less suitable as they would not provide a sufficiently detailed representation for the given range of expenditures.