Question

Myles is eating jellybeans. He starts with 20, and eats 3 beans per minute. Let y represent the number of jellybeans and x represent minutes. Assuming the relationship is linear, find an equation that describes Myles eating jellybeans.

Answer 1

The linear equation that describes Myles eating jellybeans at a rate of 3 beans per minute starting with 20 jellybeans is y = -3x + 20, where y is the number of jellybeans remaining, and x is the minutes elapsed.

Step-by-step explanation:

Myles is eating jellybeans at a rate of 3 beans per minute starting with 20 jellybeans. To find an equation that describes this situation, we should identify the initial amount and the rate of change. Since the relationship is linear, the equation will be in the form of y = mx + b, where m is the slope (rate of change) and b is the y-intercept (starting amount).

He starts with 20 jellybeans (y-intercept), and eats 3 jellybeans per minute (slope). Therefore, the rate of change is -3 (we use a negative sign because the number of jellybeans is decreasing). Thus, the equation will be:
y = -3x + 20

Here, y represents the number of jellybeans remaining, and x represents the minutes elapsed.