Final answer:
The cost of a health club membership is determined by a linear equation with a y-intercept of 49 dollars and a slope of 20 dollars per month.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cost C, in dollars, for a health club membership depends on the number m of whole months you join. This situation is represented by the function rule C = 49 + 20m.
Based on the given function rule, we can see that the cost C is determined by adding a constant term of 49 and the product of the number of months and the constant rate of 20. The function rule represents a linear equation with a y-intercept of 49 and a slope of 20, which means that for every one month increase in the number of months, the cost will increase by 20 dollars.