Final answer:
The slope-intercept equation to represent Tom's salary over time is y = 1200x + 65000.
Step-by-step explanation:
The slope-intercept form of a linear equation is given by y = mx + b, where m is the slope and b is the y-intercept. In this case, since Tom's salary is increasing over time, the slope will be positive. To find the slope, we can use the formula:
slope = (change in y) / (change in x)
Using the given information, we can calculate the slope as:
slope = (71000 - 65000) / (5 - 0) = 6000 / 5 = 1200
Therefore, the correct slope-intercept equation to represent Tom's salary over time would be y = 1200x + 65000.