Final answer:
The x-intercept represents the number of hours and the y-intercept represents the initial temperature.
Step-by-step explanation:
a. Graphing and intercepts:
To graph the function f(x) = -25 + 5x, you can start by finding the x-intercept and the y-intercept. The x-intercept occurs when y = 0, so you can set -25 + 5x = 0 and solve for x, which gives x = 5. Therefore, the x-intercept is (5, 0). The y-intercept occurs when x = 0, so you can substitute x = 0 into the equation and find that y = -25. Therefore, the y-intercept is (0, -25).
b. What each intercept represents:
The x-intercept in this context represents the number of hours. In other words, when the temperature is 0 degrees, it means no hours have passed. The y-intercept represents the initial temperature. In this case, the initial temperature is -25 degrees.