Final answer:
The linear equation y=8.5x represents how much Monique earns from summer babysitting, with 'x' being hours worked and 'y' the money earned. Using the equation, one can calculate the earnings for a given number of hours, or the number of hours worked for a given amount of earnings.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question involves interpreting the linear equation y=8.5x, which represents Monique's earnings from babysitting over the summer. In this equation, x is the number of hours she works, and y is the total amount of money she earns.
If Monique works for 3.5 hours, we can substitute x=3.5 into the equation to find her earnings: y = 8.5 * 3.5. In this case, y would be the amount she earns for those 3.5 hours of work. Similarly, if we are told that Monique earned $238, we could find the number of hours she worked by rearranging the equation to solve for x: x = y / 8.5 and substituting y=238 to find x.