Final answer:
The points given do not define the relation y=5/(x-1) because substituting the x-values from the points into the equation does not consistently result in the corresponding y-values, notably due to issues with division by zero.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has asked whether the points (1,5), (2,10), (3,7), and (4,14) define the relation y = 5/(x-1). To determine this, each x-value from the points can be substituted into the relation to see if the corresponding y-value is produced.
The dependence of y on x is observed by mapping these values on a graph. If the points do not satisfy the relation, then the relation does not define all the points.
To illustrate, let's test the first point (1,5), substituting x=1 into the relation gives y=5/(1-1), which is undefined because of division by zero. Thus, (1,5) does not define the relation y=5/(x-1). We would continue this process for each point to conclude whether the given relation defines all the points on the table.
When analyzing relationships in a course, we often encounter equations like linear equations of the form y = b + mx, which express graphically the dependence of y on the independent variable x.