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Is the relationship linear, exponential, or neither?

X values: 9, 17, 25, 33
Y values: -6, -24, -96, -384

a) Linear
b) Exponential
c) Neither

User Ljgww
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1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

By examining the rate of change between the given Y values, we can see that the changes are not constant, thus ruling out a linear relationship. However, the ratio of the changes between the Y values is constant, indicating that this is an exponential relationship.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine whether the relationship between the X and Y values given is linear, exponential, or neither, we can look at the rate of change between the points. A linear relationship will have a constant rate of change, while an exponential relationship will have a rate of change that itself grows or decays at a constant ratio.

Looking at the X values (9, 17, 25, 33) and the corresponding Y values (-6, -24, -96, -384), we check the differences between consecutive Y values:

  • Between -6 and -24, the change is -18.
  • Between -24 and -96, the change is -72.
  • Between -96 and -384, the change is -288.

These changes are not constant, so the relationship is not linear. Instead, if we divide each change by the previous one, we can see if there is a consistent ratio:

  • -72 / -18 = 4
  • -288 / -72 = 4

Since the ratio is constant, this indicates an exponential relationship, with each Y value being 4 times the previous Y value for a constant increase in X.

User Adamovskiy
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