To model the number of species added to the United States endangered species list each year, we can use a linear function with the form y = mx + b. The slope and y-intercept can be found using the formula for slope and solving for the y-intercept using one set of x and y values. The linear function that best models the data can then be written.
To model the number of species added to the United States endangered species list each year, we can use a linear function. A linear function has the form y = mx + b, where y represents the number of species added, x represents the years, m represents the slope of the line, and b represents the y-intercept.
We can find the slope by using the formula:
To find the y-intercept, we can substitute one set of x and y values from the table into the equation and solve for b.
Once we have the slope and y-intercept, we can write the linear function.
For example, if we choose the first and last data points (x1, y1) = (2000, 15) and (x2, y2) = (2019, 36),
Using the point-slope formula with (x1, y1), y - y1 = m(x - x1), we can solve for b:
15 = 0.6(2000) + b
b = -1085
Therefore, the linear function that models the number of species added to the United States endangered species list each year is y = 0.6x - 1085.
The probable question may be:
How does the linear function y = 0.6x - 1085 accurately represent the trend in the number of species added to the United States endangered species list each year?