Final answer:
The slope (0.10) in the equation y = 0.10x + 5 represents the cost per minute, while the y-intercept (5) represents the monthly fee, making option b the correct interpretation of these terms in the given context.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the equation y = 0.10x + 5, the slope and y-intercept have specific interpretations depending on the context of the problem.
Here, the slope (0.10) represents the rate of change in the dependent variable (y) for each one-unit increase in the independent variable (x). This could be interpreted as the cost per minute if x represents time in minutes, for example. Meanwhile, the y-intercept (5) is the value of y when x is zero. This represents a starting value or a fixed charge that applies regardless of the value of x. So if this were a billing scenario, the y-intercept could be interpreted as a monthly fee added to a variable cost represented by the slope.
Therefore, the correct option that matches these interpretations would be: b. The slope represents the cost per minute, and the y-intercept represents the monthly fee.