Final answer:
To determine if given values are solutions to the inequality (3/8)x + 7 < -8, solve for x to get x < -40. Values less than -40 are solutions, while values greater than or equal to -40 are not.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question requires us to test whether given values are solutions to the inequality (3/8)x + 7 < -8. To solve the inequality, we must isolate the variable x:. First, we would subtract 7 from both sides of the inequality obtaining (3/8)x < -15. Then, we multiply both sides by the reciprocal of 3/8, which is 8/3, to get x < -40.
Now that we have the solution for the inequality, we can determine if a value is a solution by checking if it is less than -40. If a value of x is greater than or equal to -40, then that value is not a solution to the inequality. In the context of Example 9 from the reference, where values of x represent concentrations, one value of x is often discarded as it does not make practical sense, leaving the physically possible value as the solution.