Final answer:
In the regression equation y = a + bX, the variable rate is represented by 'b', which is the slope of the regression line.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the regression equation y = a + bX, the portion of the equation that represents the variable rate is b. The term 'a' represents the y-intercept, which is the value of y when X is equal to 0. The coefficient b is known as the slope of the regression line, which indicates the amount of change in the dependent variable y for each one-unit change in the independent variable X. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is 'b) b'.