Final answer:
To create a linear function, you can draw a straight line, plot points on a graph according to y = mx + b, represent it in a table showing pairs of x and y values, formulate it as an equation y = mx + b, or describe it through a real-life scenario in a word problem. The correct way to express a linear function is to use all these methods.
Step-by-step explanation:
A person can create a linear function in several ways: as a picture, a graph, a table, an equation or expression, and in a word problem.
To create a linear function as a picture, one might simply draw a straight line on paper. To represent it graphically, one would plot points on a coordinate plane that follow the line's equation, usually of the form y = mx + b, where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept. The equation y = mx + b is the algebraic expression of a linear function. To express it in a table, one would list input values for x, calculate the corresponding y values, and present them in columns. Lastly, a linear function can be described through a word problem that presents a scenario with a constant rate of change.
Examples:
Table: If the equation is y = 2x + 3, the table might start with x=1, y=5; x=2, y=7; etc.
Word Problem: If x represents years of experience and y the salary in dollars, then 'For every year of experience, a worker's salary increases by $2,000 from a starting salary of $30,000' translates to the equation y = 2000x + 30000.
The correct answer is E) All of the above. Each method listed corresponds to a different way of expressing a linear function.