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A catering company receives $540 for catering a dinner party for 17 people and $690 for a party for 23 people.

a. What does the slope mean in this situation?
b. What does the y-intercept mean in this situation?
c. How much would catering cost for a dinner party of 20 people?
d. If the charge is $265, how many people attended the dinner party?

User AbiNerd
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The slope represents the cost per person, and the y-intercept represents the initial cost when no one attends the dinner party. The cost for a dinner party of 20 people is $615, and for a charge of $265, 6 people attended the dinner party.

Step-by-step explanation:

a. Slope:

The slope represents the rate of change in the function. In this situation, the slope represents the cost per person. To find the slope, we can use the slope formula: (change in y) / (change in x).

Using the given information, we can calculate the slope:

Slope = (690 - 540) / (23 - 17) = 150 / 6 = 25

Therefore, the slope in this situation is $25 per person.

b. Y-Intercept:

The y-intercept represents the initial value or fixed cost in the function. In this situation, the y-intercept represents the cost when there are no people attending the dinner party.

Using the given information, we can determine the y-intercept as follows:

When x = 0, y = 540 - (25 * 17) = 540 - 425 = 115

Therefore, the y-intercept in this situation is $115.

c. Cost for a Dinner Party of 20 People:

To find the cost for a dinner party of 20 people, we can use the equation of the line. Substituting x = 20 into the equation,

y = 115 + (25 * 20) = 115 + 500 = 615

Therefore, the cost for a dinner party of 20 people is $615.

d. Number of People attended the Dinner Party for a Charge of $265:

To find the number of people who attended the dinner party for a charge of $265, we can use the equation of the line. Rearranging the equation to solve for x,

265 = 115 + (25 * x)

150 = 25 * x

x = 6

Therefore, the number of people attended the dinner party for a charge of $265 is 6.

User Nodak
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