Final answer:
To find the number of sales in 1996 using the equation s = 140x + 300, we substitute x with 14 (since 1996 is 14 years after 1982) to get s = 1960 + 300, resulting in 2260 sales.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student was asked to find the number of sales in 1996 for a particular brand of appliance using the relationship s = 140x + 300, where s represents the number of sales in the year x with x = 0 corresponding to 1982.
To find the sales in 1996, we need to calculate the value of x for the year 1996.
First, determine the number of years from 1982 to 1996: 1996 - 1982 = 14, so x = 14. Next, we plug this value into the given equation: s = 140(14) + 300.
Thus, the number of sales in 1996 is s = 1960 + 300 = 2260 sales. This implies that the brand sold 2260 appliances in the year 1996.