Question

Babies typically grow about 24 centimeters per year, or 2 centimeters per month, during their first year. The average length of a newborn baby is 50 centimeters. Baby A is born 50 centimeters long and grows at 2 centimeters per month. Baby B is born 52 centimeters long and grows at 1.5 centimeters per month. Graph the growth of each baby. (Hint: The birth length is the y-intercept, and the growth rate is the slope.)

Which of the following formulas represents the growth of Baby A and Baby B respectively?
A) Baby A: y = 50 + 2x, Baby B: y = 52 + 1.5x
B) Baby A: y = 50 + 2.5x, Baby B: y = 52 + 1x
C) Baby A: y = 50 + 1.5x, Baby B: y = 52 + 2x
D) Baby A: y = 52 + 2x, Baby B: y = 50 + 1.5x.

Answer 1

The formulas that represent the growth of Baby A and Baby B are Baby A: y = 50 + 2x and Baby B: y = 52 + 1.5x, with Baby A's length increasing by 2 centimeters per month and Baby B's length increasing by 1.5 centimeters per month.

Step-by-step explanation:

The growth of Baby A and Baby B can be represented by linear equations, where the birth length is the y-intercept, and the monthly growth rate is the slope of the line. According to the information given, Baby A starts at 50 centimeters and grows 2 centimeters per month, while Baby B starts at 52 centimeters and grows 1.5 centimeters per month.

Therefore, the equation for Baby A is y = 50 + 2x, where 'y' represents the baby's length in centimeters and 'x' represents the number of months after birth. For Baby B, the equation is y = 52 + 1.5x. These formulas correspond to the linear growth model, which assumes a constant rate of growth over time for each baby.

On a graph, both lines would start at their respective y-intercepts (50 for Baby A and 52 for Baby B) and slope upwards according to their monthly growth rate, creating a straight line that demonstrates their growth over time.