Question

The Hamptons Family has a fish tank holding 11,500 ml of water. The water is leaking at a rate of 20 ml per minute.

Write a function equation representing this situation.

a) W(t) = 11,500 - 20t
b) W(t) = 20t - 11,500
c) W(t) = 11,500 + 20t
d) W(t) = 11,500 / t

Answer 1

The correct function equation representing the water volume over time in a leaking tank is W(t) = 11,500 - 20t, where W(t) is the water volume in milliliters and t is time in minutes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question concerns the creation of a function equation to represent the situation of a fish tank with water leaking out. The tank holds 11,500 ml of water and leaks at a rate of 20 ml per minute. To construct the function equation, we start with the initial volume of water, 11,500 ml, and subtract the product of the leak rate, 20 ml per minute, and the time in minutes, t. This yields the function W(t) = 11,500 - 20t, which correctly represents the volume of water, W, as a function of time, t.