Final answer:
The equation y = 9.5x represents the earnings y (in dollars) of an aquarium gift shop employee that works x hours. The coefficient 9.5 represents the dollar amount earned per hour worked.
Step-by-step explanation:
The given equation, y = 9.5x, represents the earnings y (in dollars) of an aquarium gift shop employee that works x hours. This equation is an example of a linear equation, where the variable x represents the number of hours worked, and the variable y represents the corresponding earnings. The coefficient 9.5 represents the dollar amount earned per hour worked.