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Find the slope of each of the four line segments, A, B, C, and D in the annual production of garbage in the United States graph.

A) A: Positive, B: Negative, C: Zero, D: Undefined
B) A: Positive, B: Positive, C: Negative, D: Zero
C) A: Negative, B: Positive, C: Negative, D: Zero
D) A: Undefined, B: Zero, C: Positive, D: Negative

User RageCage
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The slope of segment B is positive as it has an 'upward slope that decreases in magnitude', and the slope of segment C is zero as it is a horizontal line. Segment A is described with ambiguity and does not provide enough information to determine its slope.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the slope of each line segment A, B, C, and D, we need to evaluate the descriptions given in the question.

  • Segment A is described as having a 'downward slope that levels off at zero' or elsewhere as having an 'upward slope that levels off at zero'. In the case of a downward slope, the slope is negative. If it has an upward slope, the slope is positive, but if it levels off at zero, it indicates the slope changes to zero.
  • Segment B begins at zero with an 'upward slope that decreases in magnitude'. This suggests a positive slope that becomes less steep over time.
  • Segment C is consistently described as 'horizontal', which indicates a slope of zero since there is no rise over the run.
  • Segment D is not explicitly described, but as per the reference information, if a horizontal line corresponds to a zero slope, then any line that is not horizontal and does not have a defined slope in the y-direction can be understood to have an undefined slope.

Based on these descriptions, the correct answer would be B) A: Positive, B: Positive, C: Negative, D: Zero. However, please note there's a discrepancy because segment A is described differently in two places. If it levels off at zero, the ending part of segment A has a zero slope. So the most accurate answer considering the ambiguity would be to only confirm that segment B has a positive slope and segment C has a slope of zero.

User Testing
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